ABOUT US
THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING GOOD...
HI, WE ARE ROOTPECKER!
Through globe trekking and cultural inspiration, the notion of creating a new form of practice within product design began to grow.
Circa 2015, while studying at university, Sebastian began experimenting with new materials, drawing inspiration from nature and sustainable working practices. The result was twofold: a baseball hat made of wood, and a special process that could enable its production - a process of deforming wood three-dimensionally whilst retaining flexibility.
Thus, Rootpecker was born.
A lot has happened since that first prototype:
Sebastian has continued to perfect the initial
design. Philipps’ abilities as a mechanical engineer have brought forth
new technical processes in automated production by developing
specialized machinery. Persistent efforts resulted in the first edition
of the Woodencap: A flexible baseball cap made of wood and cotton that
offers as much comfort as conventional hats.
We’ve stuck with our
initial belief: produce every cap with sustainable, certified
materials, through fair-trade practices in Germany. We’re proud to set a
new standard in the current fashion industry.
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ROOTPECKER'S DEVELOPMENT
October 2015
It all started with an idea
Wooden accessories started to become trendy. Besides wooden watches, sunglasses and bow ties, the only key piece missing was the wooden baseball cap.
March 2016
First prototypes were produced
With the vision of developing a sustainable product, we focused on using only natural materials. The biggest challenge was shaping a solid material like wood into a three-dimensional, flexible object.
December 2016
A long way of improvements
The first prototypes were slightly stiff and heavy. We kept experimenting with different materials and working methods. Finally, we created the first flexible Woodencap made of wood, cotton, natural rubber glue and seams made of recycled PET bottles.
July 2017
Machines and processes were developed
In order to offer the caps to the broad public, we needed to make the manufacturing more efficient. Therefore we developed customized machines to optimize the production process.
March 2018
A high quality product is born
After finalizing the concept of our edition
1
, the packaging and marketing campaign, our Woodencap got awarded with the reddot award 2018 in the category of product design.
April 2018
Rootpecker at Milano Design Week 2018
First exposition of our Woodencaps at Milano Design Week in trendy Lambrate District. We received outstanding feedback by the audience!
July 2018
Rootpecker received the RedDot Design Award
We enjoyed an excellent night at the Red Dot Award Ceremony in Essen and connected with other designers.
September 2018
Optimizing production methods
Customized machines weren't enough after all. In order to manufacture the caps more efficient, Rootpecker rearranged their entire production chain.
July 2019
More space for professional working conditions
Bigger machines require more room. We restored an entire floor of 120m² and transformed it into a well structured workshop and office.
January 2020
"Rootpecker GbR" is finally founded
After finally founding the company, the team moved into the new facilities where they are still preparing for market launch!