WHERE IT ALL STARTED
NAAiNAAi was founded by Suzanne, whose lifelong love of craft, sustainability and conscious living led her to create a brand rooted in care, creativity and purpose.
The name “Naai” means “sew” in Dutch – a fitting name, as sewing is at the heart of what NAAiNAAi does. It’s pronounced like Chai Chai or Bye Bye.
Originally from the Netherlands, Suzanne now lives in beautiful Devon, nestled among rolling hills with her husband and three children.
Creativity runs in Suzanne’s family – one grandmother was an artist potter, the other an amateur seamstress and painter. Suzanne was educated in the Steiner tradition, which deeply nurtured her love for handwork and wholesome lifestyle. She later became a Steiner class teacher herself. After having her own children, she began sewing clothing and making toys for her family, bringing together her practical skills and artistic passion.
Raised with a deep connection to nature both at home and in school, Suzanne extended this way of living to her own family. Once her children were all in school, she found the opportunity to grow this love into a business – and so, NAAiNAAi was born.
Sustainability is naturally a cornerstone of NAAiNAAi. The brand exists to be part of a more mindful, responsible way of living – making thoughtful choices about how materials are used and sourced.
The journey has been deeply meaningful. A few years ago, Suzanne faced a life-threatening health experience and later struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder – in short, anxiety. The path to healing was long and difficult, but rediscovering purpose through creativity, learning, and community played a major role. In honour of that journey, and with an understanding of how hard it can be to both support and suffer from anxiety, a portion of every sale is donated to Anxiety UK, a charity supporting people on their mental health journey.
Next came the Butterwalk Store. Located at No. 51 on Totnes High Street Totnes.
Set within the historic Old Butterwalk arcade, a Tudor colonnade originally built to shelter dairy merchants. This unique space now supports independent makers, slow fashion, and conscious living.
In 2021, Suzanne restored the building and opened Butterwalk as a multi-level creative hub. The shop now houses a café, onsite sewing studio, therapy rooms, and other creatives. Visitors can explore a wide range of locally made goods, including ceramics, jewellery, textiles, leatherwork, and books, crafted by Suzanne and other local artisans.
"I didn't have a vision for the building other than wanted to maintain its history in the sharing of this space".
Formerly used by ateliers in candle, furniture and brush making the shopfront has a long legacy of artisans behind it. This artisanal spirit survives as customers of NAAiNAAi can connect directly in the shop studio with the people who sew these clothes. They are a small talented team with an extensive knowledge of fabric and fit. As well as the clothing it is also an opportunity to discover a variety of sustainable craft practices and how as consumers we can support local economies".
For Suzanne more emphasis needs to be placed on being aware of and inspired by our immediate environment. Through its offering Butterwalk is intended to do just that, Its product range serves as an information channel of hand skills for people to engage with.
