Delta Air Lines has teamed up with an artisan company out of Oaxaca, Mexico for their new sustainable amenity kits launched on Tuesday — a partnership that Travel + Leisure just so happened to have a hand in.

After Someone Somewhere caught the eye of the airline's director of supply chain management, Sam Sibble, thanks to the December 2020 issue of T+L, he reached out via LinkedIn in hopes to connect for a project. And although the company's CEO and co-founder, Antonio Nuño exclusively tells us he needed some convincing that the message was real, he and his company got to work and developed a sustainable amenity for the airline that will be rolled out in February.

Someone Somewhere specifically created a zipperless, cloth-based closure pouch — complete with a label made from coconut — that holds eco-friendly flight essentials like bamboo cutlery, a toothbrush and toothpaste made by Humble & Co., and a lip balm and hand lotion made by Grown Alchemist for passengers flying in Delta One.

The Mexican company also made the eye mask that can be found in the amenity kits.

"We are using local materials, natural materials, recycled materials," Nuño told T+L. "And all of the materials are local, which is a very, very important part of a sustainability effort because it avoids transporting things all across the world. Here, everything is within 200 miles of where things are assembled."

But sustainability is only part of Nuño's mission. In the 5 years since Someone Somewhere was founded, the company has hired hundreds of local artisans who have mastered the art of looms, a popular weaving technique in Latin America.

"[Artisans] use [looms] in products that are more traditional for souvenirs," Nuño said. "Here, being able to use that technique in a product that is more functional, and that has a larger life. And that has more design elements into it can help a include them in our supply chain."

Someone Somewhere notes on its website that 98% of its employees are women and come from economically disadvantaged households in the Puebla, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Hidalgo, and Estado de México states. Employees earn wages over 50% higher than the national average and 37% higher than the global fair wage guide minimum. Thirty percent of the product cost goes straight to the artisan.

Nuño also told T+L that since partnering with Delta the waitlist for future artisans to join the team is now over 500. 

As passengers board their next Delta flight, Nuño hopes passengers take the opportunity to learn about his company and its employees. Each Someone Somewhere pouch comes with a custom QR code so passengers can learn more about the artisan who designed their product, along with their signature — a finishing touch on any artwork.

Delta and Someone Somewhere established a multi-year partnership, so travelers may not have to rush to get on a plane to experience the company's craftsmanship. Someone Somewhere also sells travel gear such as backpacks, travel wallets, totes, and face masks on their website.

Passengers will also notice some new products on future Delta flights. In addition to the Someone Somewhere amenity kits, the airline will be rolling out bedding made from recycled materials in its Delta One cabin, premium canned wine from the Imagery Estate Winery in Sonoma, California.

All products are initiatives by the airline to promote more sustainable practices as well as introduce passengers to smaller brands of varying backgrounds. Delta began serving Minnesota-based Du Nord vodka in October from the first Black-owned distillery in the U.S.

"We really wanted to take a values-based approach to the products we're selecting, and think very carefully around how do we change what and how we buy," Sibble said. "This is a testament to that, as we were learning more about the artisans and how we can support the community, it really inspired us to think differently, and that's something we're trying to do more across the board on products."