We create modern minimalist home goods compassionately hand-crafted in the USA, with earth and people friendly materials.
about little korboose
We create modern minimalist home goods compassionately hand-crafted in the USA, with earth and people friendly materials. As a lifestyle brand focused on consciousness we are dedicated to sharing our products and practices with customers all around the world.
Little Korboose or "LK" headquarters are located in Cleveland, Ohio. In the 1950's Cleveland had a large, influential and vibrant textile and garment industry. The city employed thousands of seamstresses and pressers and was second to New York in size and the source of much of America’s ready-to-wear clothing before jobs moved overseas. Many of the old industrial buildings that give Cleveland character are still standing and have been preserved for other uses. The heritage of textile creation lives on in Cleveland through Little Korboose.
Little Korboose draws on modern minimalist design traditions with a distinctive playful twist. Founded by April Nemeth in 2008, the decision to start her own business came from her studies and passion around conscious, ethical business and "USA made". Since founding the company she has been committed to creating positive change in the areas of ecological sustainability and human welfare, while not sacrificing quality or good design. With roots deep in ecological consciousness LK is committed to raising awareness around the environmental impact of fast fashion and the ecological benefits of conscious consumerism. Part of this effort includes LK's dedication to keeping textiles out of landfills as textile waste takes 200 years to break down. The company is a ZERO waste company with a "no textiles in landfills policy". All pre-consumer waste ("deadstock" and remnants) is upcycled to create Little Korboose quilts, rugs and other products. Additionally, with fundamental values rooted in social good, each LK design is created by April and products constructed using ethical and sustainable practices by her team made up of USA natives and refugees who have fled their native countries, seeking asylum in the US, due to abusive and/or devastating conditions. LK is committed to helping those in need get their start regardless of race, gender or class. All in the USA, in the LK studio and factories.
With consciousness at the core, all materials down to the smallest details like zippers are carefully sourced to guarantee that they are of the highest quality and produced in a sustainable, ethical manner. Merchandise can be found here on the LK website and in stockist’s shops around the world. Whether it be humans or the planet Little Korboose is committed to continuing to do the work to support real positive change and engage in this life intentionally.
about the owner
Little Korboose Founder, CEO & Creative Director, April Nemeth, is an artist, designer & entrepreneur. From a family of creatives, April got her start as an artist at a young age and works in a variety of mediums. She attended Kent State University and holds a BFA/MA in design. While there, April fell in love with modern design and architecture traces of which can be seen in her own work. Over a decade after founding the company, she still hand draws every LK design herself, while simultaneously leading the vision. Recent partners of note include West Elm, Anthropologie and Women's Collective (Subscription Box).
April is also a bit of a wanderlust and much of her work is inspired by nature and her travels, specifically to the western part of the US. Throughout her childhood to now she has frequented this part of the world and has enjoyed visiting preserved lands and national parks such as the Badlands, Yosemite and Joshua Tree. April’s childhood home was filled with artifacts from family adventures which were always a source of inspiration.
While not designing or directing at Little Korboose, April leads a full-service multi-disciplinary studio, The Studio of April Nemeth, where together with her team she creates strategy, design and production across all platforms. To balance it all out, April is also a certified yoga teacher with a concentration in Vinyasa Yoga and guided meditation. In 2018, she founded Juniper & Stone an experiential company that fosters inspired living by way of creative immersions and workshops around the globe.
values
E A R T H F R I E N D L Y
P E O P L E F R I E N D L Y
S O C I A L G O O D
W O M A N O W N E D
M A D E I N T H E U S A
N O T O N A M A Z O N
the name
The name Little Korboose is a play off of modern architect Le Corbusier, one of April’s most prominent influences. Corbusier is also the name of her Russian blue cat of 15.3 years.
photo credit
All photos are ©Little Korboose and April Nemeth.
