Textile Artist Cheraine Baljé created a masterpiece sweater for the BIG HUG upcycled sweater collection. She interpreted the BIG HUG theme with a beautiful flocked nature landscape of mountains. This masterpiece was auctioned and raised a stellar 1500 EUR for Braive, a charity that cares about the mental health of young people under 25 with programs and education.

Cheraine: "I came with this idea because the BIG HUG collection is sustainable fashion with a message of connection and well being. It gives a BIG HUG to the planet and the people on it. And nature plays a significant role in our well being. My mother always said when I was not feeling well: 'Go outside, go in nature and you feel instantly better'. She is always right, when it comes to this."

Cheraine Baljé (1994) is a cool, upcoming Dutch textile artist, based in Rotterdam. She is a creative virtuoso when it comes to needle and thread and makes contemporary work with traditional techniques. This includes hand painting, embroidery, quilting, knitting and crocheting, which she mostly learned from her grandmother. She uses natural materials and draws her inspiration mainly from the traditional patterns, motifs and designs of her bi-cultural background.

SoulBites and U-INC created the BIG HUG collection, a statement collection of 50 upcycled vintage sweaters that calls for more hugs. Research shows, that hugs are essential to our well-being and provide feelings of connectedness and belonging. Especially if the hug lasts for more than 5 seconds. Our BIG HUG limited collection wants to initiate more hugging and supports well-being projects, while reducing fashion waste. Read more about this collection here.

credits: photo on model by Dominique Straal