When Dutch designer Bas Timmer was still in fashion school, he found out the heartbreaking news that a friend’s father died from hypothermia while sleeping outside.
At the time, Timmer was designing luxury outerwear as part of his studies and immediately felt a disconnect between his work and the reality so many people face. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, around 700 people experiencing homelessness die from hypothermia in the United States each year. And that’s not factoring in the estimated 100 million people who face homelessness around the world.
Timmer knew he had to do something.
Instead of scrapping his designs, he pulled together the jackets he was already working on — and an old sleeping bag and tent — and in five hours, made the first prototype of what became the Sheltersuit.
Now, over a decade later, The Sheltersuit Foundation provides vital warming supplies to people experiencing homelessness across Europe, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the United States.
“I decided I could use my skills better if they were redirected to help people who need warmth and shelter the most,” Timmer said in a blog post for his nonprofit.
The Sheltersuit is a sleek design that is part tent and part parka, a jacket that can be worn as usual throughout the day and expanded into a sleeping bag at night.
With a large hood and collar that can be pulled up to protect the face and neck, the design offers warmth and safety without giving unsheltered community members another large item to lug around. Additionally, the sleeping bag includes Velcro closures at the base, so that wearers can easily get up and move on their feet without exposing themselves to the cold.
“We believe everyone deserves warmth, protection, and dignity,” the foundation’s website reads. “These products are not meant to be a replacement for finding a home but a supplement to when you have no other choice.”
In addition to helping those facing homelessness, the foundation also distributes Sheltersuits to refugees and survivors of disasters and conflict.
“Many families have lost their homes,” Paul Zurnick, the foundation’s head of distribution, said on its website. “We strive to alleviate their pain by providing as much assistance as possible to those most affected.”
What’s more, Sheltersuits are all made with upcycled materials, including sleeping bags abandoned at music festivals. Since its inception, the foundation has upcycled over 168,000 kilograms of waste.
“I really want this to be the future,” Timmer told Vogue in 2020.
Over the years, he has also collaborated with outdoor gear brands and aid partners to expand the reach of his work. He said he hopes to offer other streetwear designs, turning a profit to help fund the distribution of more Sheltersuits.
“I always find it very interesting to use materials that you normally don’t see as valuable: Make them, sell them as limited editions for a bit higher price, and get those revenues making Sheltersuits and Shelterbags,” Timmer told Vogue.
Timmer has also designed Shelterbags, sleeping bags with extra protection designed for warmer climates, ensuring that the people his nonprofit serves have what they need in the most dire moments. These waterproof designs come with a built-in pillow and a thin mattress.
Right now, people can donate to the organization to help fund the distribution of these items, or even shop tote bags made from recycled materials — aptly called “Totes of Hope” — to fund this work.
Timmer has also made a point to hire the people he helps. His community workshop in the Netherlands is staffed by refugees and people who were previously homeless, creating 232 jobs since 2014.
“We can bring much more if we involve the consumer, involve homeless people,” he told Vogue, “all in the process of helping one another.”
While Timmer and his foundation have distributed more than 33,600 items in the past decade, he acknowledges that what he offers is still just a temporary solution to the homelessness crisis.
Still, as he told TIME Magazine in 2020, it’s better than the alternative.
“It’s a band-aid, but it’s a good band-aid,” he said. “People want a house; they want a job. Until they have that, let’s at least protect them while they are on the streets.”
Header image courtesy of The Sheltersuit Foundation
