In recent weeks, debates around where and how goods are produced and purchased have become central in our public discourse. As I’ve followed the arguments for and against tariffs, it’s clear that what’s really being discussed isn’t just US trade policy — it’s a tangled knot of ideas about nationalism, exceptionalism, labor, economics, and cultural signaling. These have all fused into an explosive ball that we now call ‘tariff policy’ — a force that seems powerful enough not just to disrupt the global economy, but also our civil society.

For PERN BAAN, the where, how, and who of manufacturing has always been central to our story. This broader cultural moment has offered a chance to reflect on our values — and to reaffirm our belief in an interconnected design and production process.

We’ve always believed that by collaborating across geography and culture, we can enrich the lives of our designers, artisans, and customers. Back in early 2020, when I invited my friend Pat Kim to join me in learning the heritage brass-casting techniques in Ban Pa Ao village in rural Thailand, it was to explore an idea I’ve long held: that design and craft can be a kind of universal language — a way to connect people who may not share a spoken one.

As designers, Pat and I were deeply enriched by the knowledge, rhythms, and way of life we encountered in Ban Pa Ao.

In the years since, PERN BAAN has stayed committed to highlighting these kinds of exchanges — and to telling the stories of the people behind the work we produce. That ethos has guided us as we’ve expanded our collaborations into new materials like marble, rattan and other metals.

A word being thrown around a lot these days is “cheap.” Cheap labor, cheap materials, cheaper prices for the end consumer. It frames overseas manufacturing as a purely economic decision. But that has never been PERN BAAN’s calculus. We begin each partnership — whether with an artisan, workshop, or factory — because they bring a rich material heritage, a skillset we want to help preserve, or creative possibilities we could never achieve on our own. We dedicate countless hours to building relationships with communities like those in Ban Pa Ao because we genuinely love learning from them — and sharing our perspectives in return.

In fact, part of our work is to challenge the narrative that goods made in Asia should be assumed to be cheap. That assumption distorts the value of our artisan partners and reinforces outdated power dynamics. The truth that is obscured by this reductive discourse is that people across the world hold deep knowledge, history, and ingenuity in their hands. With our products, we aim to connect our customers to this truth.