We started out with various cork rugs, placemats and glass coasters for young and old. Today we produce over 100 products for adults, children, dogs and cats. These range from pretty interior products such as table runners and bowls to accessories such as yoga mats and bags, changing mats and children's games to dog cushions and food bowl mats.
As the embroidered rugs are the centerpiece of CLARISSAKORK and the most complex to produce, I'll tell you how the process works for this variant. As mentioned, we source our cork from Portugal, which is delivered in 1.40 meter wide rolls - firstly as pre-dyed cork leather and secondly as cork granulate. We need both components for our carpets: The granules form the non-slip underside, while the fine cork leather enhances the top side.
First, the high-quality cork leather is cut to size and then embroidered with the desired pattern. This was the only step we outsourced for a long time to an embroidery specialist in the region. Since 2025, we have owned our own embroidery machine and can now carry out every single step ourselves. Moving on: The cork granulate is then cut to the desired size with the cutter and we print the name and dimensions on it so that nothing gets mixed up. The two components are then placed in the laminating machine, where they are joined together - a kind of wedding, as it were. The wedding night follows, as the joined cork parts are allowed to rest for a while before the cork leather is folded over, sewn and neatly cut off. The flying carpet is then nicely packaged and on its way to you! To the carpets
The American architect Louis Henry Sullivan already knew that "form follows function". This design principle is also our approach. A beautiful product alone is not enough. When we develop something new, the first thing we focus on is function. What should the product do? How can it make our lives easier? Can it perhaps even be used in different ways? Only then do we look at the design and how we can implement it in production. Our Drop coaster is a good example - you can of course place cups and glasses on it. But if you feel like it, there's also room for salt and pepper shakers. Or a vase. A small, hot pot also works. You could also use the drop as a mouse pad. Apart from its versatility, the simple, organic design doesn't get boring so quickly and therefore our Drop won't be dropped so quickly 😊
Ideas often arise from everyday needs, when we think: "Oh, that would be practical and particularly beautiful and clever in cork." Then it starts to rattle around in our heads and the teamwork begins. There is discussion, tinkering and, in the best case scenario, a prototype is created and tested. Further, improved prototypes follow. If at some point we come to the conclusion that the product makes sense, it has passed all the endurance tests, the price is realistic, the design is right and the packaging has been sorted out ... well, then we send the corked newcomer to the next launch round. What we also do from time to time - we ask our online community for their opinion, because after all, the products are meant for you 😊
When you hear cork, you probably first think of wine bottles or pinboards, but the range of possibilities for what can be made from this fantastic natural product is endless. We have over 100 products in our range, which are carefully made by hand in our manufactory in the Bregenzerwald in Austria with great attention to detail. Each piece is unique, combining our high standards of design and craftsmanship with the benefits of cork as a sustainable natural material. At the heart of CLARISSAKORK - and so far unique in the world - are the embroidered cork leather rugs. The embroidery craft has a long tradition here in the region, which our rugs take to a new, innovative level. Our rug configurator also makes it possible for anyone to create their own personalized rug made to measure.
Beginnen wir mal mit der Qualität. Für unsere Produkte verwenden wir ausschließlich hochwertiges Premium-Korkleder aus Portugal. Weiter geht es mit ökologischer Konsequenz, denn schließlich arbeiten wir mit einem Naturmaterial: Sowohl das Korkgranulat als auch das Korkleder haben wir von unabhängigen Prüfstellen auf mögliche Schadstoffe untersuchen lassen. Das Material für die Kinderprodukte wurde extra getestet und entspricht der Norm DIN EN 71-3, die die Sicherheit von Spielzeugen gewährleistet. Alle unsere Produkte sind also schadstoffgeprüft und grundsätzlich unbedenklich. Damit nicht genug – lass uns über Fairness sprechen. Unsere Produkte werden nicht irgendwo produziert, sondern wir fertigen alles selber, und zwar in unserer eigenen Manufaktur mitten im Bregenzerwald. Klasse statt Masse lautet das Credo, denn unsere Produkte sollen dich mit gutem Gewissen lange begleiten.
First of all, neither a tree nor an animal has to die to produce cork leather. Compared to animal leather, cork is warm because it absorbs and stores heat from the air. While leather has to be impregnated with chemicals, cork is naturally waterproof. Its special surface texture also makes it extremely easy to care for. If it gets dirty, simply wipe the cork leather with a damp cloth.
The basic material is the bark of the cork oak, which - once the tree is big enough - is harvested approximately every nine years. The tree is not felled, but lives on after the harvest and can live for up to 200 years on average. The bark then undergoes a very complex process: it is aerated, steamed, boiled, dried and pressed. Finally, cork sheets are cut into very thin sheets and applied to a cotton backing. Voilà: the cork leather is ready for further processing. The natural material is therefore 100% vegan, no trees are felled and no animals have to suffer.
We only import high-quality premium cork leather and cork granulate from Portugal, the main cork growing region in Europe. The cork oak forests there, called Montado, not only provide the wonderful sustainable natural material, but are also among the most species-rich biotopes in the world.
The topic of sustainability plays a very important role at CLARISSAKORK and runs through various levels. Firstly, cork itself is a very sustainable natural material. The frugal cork oak is not felled, but lives on after the bark has been harvested and provides new material every nine years or so. Cork is recyclable and is also robust, durable, easy to clean and tear-resistant. This means that the products do not have to be thrown away every so often if they are treated well. We pay attention to high quality during processing, and functionality and timeless design are our top priorities during product development. This means you can enjoy our favorite pieces for a long time and won't want to replace them straight away.
We import our raw materials — the cork leather and the cork granulate — from Portugal. All further processing steps then take place in our own manufactory in the Bregenzerwald. This means that everything from the idea and design to cutting, embroidery, printing, lamination, sewing, and shipping is done by us.
Taking part in the show was a good step for us in many ways. Before the show, we already had a lot of customers from Germany, but we weren't yet so well known in Austria. That balanced out extremely well after the show. The show was also important for our self-confidence. Until then, we were often labeled as hobbyists by potential partners, ridiculed and not taken seriously. That has definitely changed. During the show, three investors wanted to invest in CLARISSAKORK and all five gave us positive feedback. Although I almost died of excitement, it definitely paid off to take part in this format.
With this question, I can also say: where should I start? In addition to many challenges and countless setbacks, there are fortunately also a few cheers. Here are three highlights to keep things interesting.
I have already received several very different great prizes, and I was particularly pleased about one of them. In 2021, CLARISSAKORK won the Newcomer Award of the Vorarlberg Innovation Prize. That's a real boost!
The completion of our new manufactory was an absolutely indescribable highlight. Naturally, we wanted to share this happiness and therefore opened the doors to all interested parties in May 2024. We welcomed almost 1,000 visitors to an open day - absolutely overwhelming.
I let out a triple cry of joy when I found out that we had won the prestigious German Design Award with three products. Our HELLO ORIGAMI design rug, the ARCHE NOAH crawling blanket and the SHINING BLOOM lampshade will now carry the German Design Award 2025 label forever and ever - a mega confirmation that has made me grow 10 centimetres taller.
Phew, where should I start? I'll try to filter out the three biggest challenges. In the beginning, I worked with an external producer in Germany, but was very quickly dissatisfied with the quality and therefore decided to take everything into my own hands. I converted the basement of my house into a small factory, looked for suppliers, invested in machinery and hired my first employee.
The second really big thing was the decision to open my own store. I hadn't planned that at all, but the demand here in the region to see the products and be able to touch the material was so great that I decided to do it. The first store was immediately too small, so we opened a larger store in the center of Hittisau in February 2023.
But what definitely gave me the most sleepless nights was the decision to invest in a plot of land and a completely new factory with more machines. Looking back, I can say that the decisions were all the right ones, but you just don't know that beforehand.
That was actually a coincidence. After working as an employee for a long time, I wanted to start my own business and naturally had an idea for it. Then one evening while zapping, I came across a report about vegan leather and was immediately curious. I immediately started doing in-depth research and was thrilled - all the great properties of the natural material, the wonderful look and feel ... Zack - the original business idea was immediately scrapped, because I realized that cork could be used to make a whole new type of carpet - unlike anything we've seen before. And not just carpets, of course, but also many other products.
Hey! I'm Clarissa and I founded the company as a one-woman show in October 2018. In the meantime, we have grown into a limited company and I am no longer alone at the helm, as Edwin and Markus have been at my side on the management board since 2021. We have basically divided up the areas, although of course everyone also has 17,000 other things on their to-do list. I take care of product development and marketing, Edwin manages production and Markus is the web developer responsible for all things digital and IT. And then, of course, there's my wonderful team, without whom nothing would work.