SAFAR
SAFAR pays tribute to the dusty traveler of both hemispheres, the Berbers of North
Africa and the South American gaucho. While divided by deserts, mountains and
oceans, the cultures of both the desert craftsman and the vaquero align in
their nomadic lifestyles, crossing entire countries in a lifetime, be it by
foot, horseback, or camel. SAFAR nomadic overture evokes the mesmerizing textiles,
tapestries, and hand-knotted carpets and pile-rugs of the Berber tradition and
the layered dress of the gaucho - fringed ponchos, striped scarves, and
embroidered cloths.
SAFAR’s patterns reference abstract interpretations of the
landscapes that Berbers and gouchos inhabit as well as letters from the
Tifinagh alphabet and other geometric symbols that are made to ward off
the evil eye. A PEACE TREATY works with artisans in Peru to handknit
bold intarsia and jacquard pieces in thick and buoyant baby alpaca; in
Ecuador to craft patch-worked leather and wool shawls; and in India to
handweave slubby, raw silk noil interpretations of hand-knotted pile
rugs and kilims. SAFAR unfolds a collection born in the desert yet fit
for a trek through the Andes.

