Every great product has a story, and the Travel Organiser is no exception. Its journey began many years ago with the design of the Slim and Square Wallet—a design that sparked an idea, which would later become one of Wren’s most practical and beloved creations.

Originally conceived as a small, purse-sized wallet during a trip to Japan, the early version of what we now know as the Travel Organiser proved its worth by keeping different currencies neatly in place. Though its practicality was undeniable, the first iteration—the Travel Folder—didn’t gain much traction due to its high cost. But when requests started pouring in from lodges and travel agencies, we knew we were onto something special.

Wren in Japan

Giftx Exhibition & Travels

Travel Folder

Retired design

Folding & Stitchings

Every new designs comes from many samples.

This unexpected demand revealed the product’s untapped potential and inspired a complete redesign. With valuable feedback from corporate clients, the Travel Folder evolved into the Travel Organiser—a refined, versatile tool designed to keep all your travel essentials neatly organised. Whether it’s for holding passports, hotel room cards, or foreign currency, the Travel Organiser has been meticulously crafted to meet the needs of modern travellers.

The result? A sleek, durable, and functional travel companion that has been tested on trips across multiple countries and continents. With added features like a clip for securing it to a bag and an insert with useful travel tools, the Travel Organiser is more than just a product—it’s the ultimate travel companion, designed to simplify your journeys and keep everything you need in one stylish place.

the Travel Organiser:

Born from experience, feedback, and a deep understanding of what makes travel easier. 

My mother told me that this would be a special outing. And that was true but it is a pity that I only remember it by photographs.

Probably becuase I was just 8, and it was 31 years ago.

Baby loggerhead turtles wash up on the beaches around the Western Cape, thousands of kilometers from where they were hatched along the northern coast of Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa. Strong winds, rough seas, and cold water currents push some of the tiny turtles into the colder surrounding waters where they go into cold shock and hypothermia. Hopefully, these exhausted and often injured little turtles are found by beachgoers and taken to the Two Oceans Aquarium where specialists care for them until they are ready to be released and continue with their life at sea.

With a passion for nature conservation and backed by WREN’s B-corp motto to “use business as a force for good”,  we wanted to know more and what we could do at WREN to help. 

⋆｡⋆｡°𓆉*ੈ‧₊˚ ༘⋆

EXPLORING THE TURTLE CONSERVATION CENTER

Through a special door the staff of The Two Oceans Aquarium took Wendren and her two girls, Philippa and Caroline to the rooftop above the ocean tanks to where the turtle “hatchlings” are taken care of.  It was a rainy day so all of the turtles were under tarpaulin blankets to keep them warm. Under each cover was a story – lots of hatchlings seperated and carefully monitored with their individual “progress report card” and then some larger turtles in long term recovery.

At the Conservation Center there are also larger turtles who are taken care of until they are strong enough to be released in the ocean again.

The smallest hatchling found this season was 17g

Sometimes the hatchlings are brought in with damaged flippers, plant growth on their shell or other ailments. With great care the veterinary team at the Two Oceans Aquarium clean their shells and do what they can to save these turtles.

Over one hundred people voted in July 2023 to name Wren’s first adopted hatchling. “Bahati” was chosen. In Swahili, a Bantu language spoken on the east coast of Africa, it means “lucky” or “fortunate”.

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Ocean iPad & Tablet Sleeve

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Ocean Square Wallet

$25.90

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Ocean Slim Wallet

$19.90

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Ocean Notebook Organiser

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Ocean Paper Pouch

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QUICK STATS

• On average, 80 rescued turtle hatchlings are cared for annually.
• On average, rehabilitation and release costs R10 000 per hatchling.
• As of the end of July 2023, 76 rescued hatchlings have arrived at the Turtle Conservation Center.
• 71% of turtle hatchlings that have arrived at the Turtle Conservation Centre have ingested plastic pollution while in the wild.
• The Turtle Conservation Centre has an 85% release success rate, meaning we are able to save 85% of stranded and/or injured sea turtles that reach our Centre.
• 62 turtles were successfully rehabilitated and released in 2022.

The Turtle Conservation Centre is one of the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s flagship programmes. With an emphasis on the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of endangered sea turtles that strand on local shores. Since its inception in 2019 over 1 000 turtles have been successfully rehabilitated and released.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND A STRANDED TURTLE.

The most important thing to remember is don’t put the turtle back into the water. If the turtle is injured, shocked or dehydrated, it won’t be able to swim away. 

Contact your nearest Turtle Rescue Point on 083 300 1663

Thank you, Tracy, for introducing me to the Turtle Conservation Center and Project. Your willingness to share this incredible initiative have opened my eyes to the importance of turtle conservation. I am grateful for the opportunity you’ve given me to be a part of this meaningful cause.

Thank you to Vic Munley for showing me and my girls around at the Two Oceans Aquarium “hospital”.

Thank you to Devon Bowen for compiling and sharing information about the project so that I may correctly share it forward.

A totem is a natural object or create that serves as a symbol of a tribe, clan or family.

A product of collaboration and curation, the TOTEM Collection by Design Afrika is a celebration of functional art from Africa. The collection is a celebration of community, inspired by the creativity of artists and makers around us in Cape Town, as well as in the Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia. Drawing inspiration from West Africa, the symbolism of TOTEM is distinctly graphic and bold, while the colours are inspired by the earth.

WREN is very excited to be part of this beautiful collection by Design Afrika called TOTEM. 

“For this collection, I developed a completely new product, Paper Wrap Floor Lampshades, using WREN’s unique approach to paper. With my textile design background, I explored painting options to transfer adinkra inspired symbols that are used as totems for dauntlessness and courage, and the stylized comb that refers to the feminine virtues of consideration, caution, circumspection, and tenderness.” Wendren Setzer

This TOTEM collection, for us, has a story that couldn’t be more appropriate considering the tough two years we have all experienced with Covid-19. TOTEM is about rebirth. It’s about coming back from the fire. It’s about grieving and rebounding. It’s about surrounding ourselves with objects that have meaning and bring comfort.

THE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT STORY

Binky Newman, founder and creative director of Design Afrika is a good friend of mine. We met at various workshops and have traveled and exhibited together at a number of trade shows. We both have a passion for tactile materials and storytelling.

Binky approached me a few months ago to develop a lampshade cover out of paper. The first task was working out the materials and combination of paper, fabric, number of layers, and fit. We completed this research with a solution that entailed lining the edges and close with magnets that create a beautiful “wrap” around the frame. Next, we needed to look at the paper surface design. The effect of light through the paper was beautiful and we wanted to enhance this. As the light shone through the paper it changed the tone and exposed the frame so we explored creating a geometrically designed frame, or skeleton. When this did not work we went back to the classic frame structure and looked using the paper surface as the design. True to our philosophy that great design moments happen magically, I took markers, oil pastels and paint to the sample and draw the Adinkra totems across the surface. The effect was breathtaking and we hope that it will also take your breath away and bring a calmness to your living room.

Wendren Setzer