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Our Commitment to Sustainability

Our Commitment to Sustainability

At PubAffairs Bruxelles, we are deeply committed to promoting sustainability, supporting local production and advancing inclusion. We also believe that economic growth must go hand in hand with environmental responsibility and community empowerment. These principles, which lie at the very heart of the European Union project, guide not only our work, but also our partnerships. 

In this spirit, we launched Our Commitment to Sustainability Programme out of conviction that highlighting exemplary initiatives can inspire meaningful change. Our programme focuses on women-led sustainable businesses, artisans and entrepreneurs whose work brings these values to life through creativity and responsibility at a local, European and global level.

Through a curated selection of independent sustainable businesses, we spotlight small enterprises that prioritise responsible practices, inclusivity and long-term dedication. By giving visibility to their activities, we wish to contribute to a more inclusive and forward-looking economy that promotes ethical production, empowers entrepreneurs and strengthens communities.

This initiative seeks to showcase unique and beautiful pieces, as well as to foster a network of businesses united by shared principles and a clear commitment to transparency in sourcing, responsible use of materials, fair working conditions and sustainable growth.

Our dedication to these principles, along with our commitment to diversity, grows out of the organisation’s culture and the personal values of our team. From the outset, we have believed in gender equality and in assessing individuals based on their talent, personality and commitment. Today, we shine a spotlight on women-owned local businesses in Brussels and across Europe that are helping build a better tomorrow through their daily work.

We are proud to share their stories, showing how dedication and responsible practices contribute to a more sustainable and resilient Europe. Their experiences provide insights into how local initiatives, led by passionate individuals, can help shape a future grounded in responsibility, inclusion and innovation.

 

Saskia Shutt

At the heart of my work is a deep belief that jewellery should carry meaning, responsibility, and human value. As an ethical jeweller, I create bespoke pieces by hand, working closely with private clients as well as companies seeking thoughtful, meaningful corporate gifts. Every commission begins with a conversation and is shaped with care, intention, and respect for the people and materials involved.

Alongside creating new pieces, I also love giving new life to existing jewellery. Many clients bring me old gold pieces that hold memories but no longer suit their lives today. Through careful craftsmanship, these materials are transformed and reimagined into contemporary jewels—honouring the past while creating something entirely new and personal. When new materials are needed, I work exclusively with responsibly sourced precious metals and gemstones. I am Fairmined certified, which means the gold I use can be traced back to Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining communities where miners receive fair pay, work under safer conditions, and are supported in protecting their environment. Traceability is essential to my practice—it allows each jewel to tell a story that begins long before it reaches my workbench.

Choosing one of my pieces is also a way of supporting the empowerment of mining communities, including women miners, whose knowledge and resilience play a vital role in the future of ethical jewellery. For me, true luxury lies in transparency, craftsmanship, and the respect shown to every hand involved in the journey from mine to market.

Whether created from newly sourced Fairmined gold or transformed from jewellery you already own, each piece is made to last—rooted in integrity, care, and connection.

An Vandenberk

Design as Continuity, Craft as Narrative

In her Brussels atelier, designer and leather artisan An Vandenberk works from a simple but enduring belief: objects and garments should carry meaning, not trends. Whether in leather or textile, her practice is rooted in craftsmanship, sustainability and storytelling.

Her leather practice unfolds by appointment, through bespoke commissions that range from sculptural pieces and refined small leather goods to works created for significant personal or institutional moments. Each commission begins with conversation, allowing identity, memory and intention to shape the design from its first sketch.

Restoration and transformation form an essential dimension of her work. Rather than replacing worn or historically significant leather items, An restores, reconstructs or reinterprets them into contemporary creations. In doing so, she extends not only the life of the material but the story embedded within it. Craft, here, becomes continuity. This philosophy of enduring design also underpins This Is No Disco, her timeless clothing line designed in her Brussels atelier and produced in Portugal in small quantities. Conceived as a deliberate alternative to mass distribution, the collection is available exclusively through her website and via personal appointments in her atelier boutique. Crafted in bamboo textile and defined by architectural silhouettes and refined restraint, each garment is intended to accompany the wearer’s individual narrative rather than follow seasonal trends.

Acquiring a piece from This Is No Disco typically forms part of a considered approach to identity, presence and longevity, reflecting the same attentive and highly individualised approach that characterises her commissions. For corporate contexts seeking a distinctive and responsible gesture, garments may be developed in limited made-to-order series, respecting minimum production requirements while maintaining the integrity of the design.

Across leather and textile, An Vandenberk’s practice offers an alternative to disposability: objects and garments created to endure, to evolve and to carry forward the narratives of those who wear them. Located in Schaerbeek, her Brussels atelier boutique is something of a quiet discovery — an unexpected design destination in the city. The PubAffairs team visited the space as part of this feature. Easily accessible from the European quarter and well connected by public transport and bicycle routes, the atelier offers a discreet setting for private consultations.

Private appointments for commissions, restoration or atelier visits can be arranged via www.anvandenberk.be/en/atelier-brussel/ or by contacting [email protected]