Read the text below.
As mass production transforms the fashion industry, one young Kenyan designer is turning back to a traditional craft.
In Nairobi, Hillary Mukabwa, founder and lead designer of Mukabwa Studio, is using hand looms not only to make clothes and fabrics, but to preserve a piece of Kenya’s cultural heritage. For Mukabwa, choosing a traditional production method is a deliberate attempt to reconnect with a craft increasingly being pushed aside by modernization.
“Modernization kills the aspect of traditional craftsmen and ways of doing work,” Mukabwa says.
“I just wanted to be that person who kind of tries to revive the old practices, because this is where culture lives. This is where authenticity lives. And from that, we get to know our roots, know what we used to do, and getting to have unique items that are identified to us.”
The process begins with preparing and measuring the yarn before threading it through the loom. Weavers then work the threads by hand, using a process that can take several days depending on the size and complexity of the fabric.
For Mukabwa, the slower pace is part of the craft’s value.
Unlike electric machines designed for mass production, hand looms produce each piece with a distinct character. “These hand looms, first of all, they are traditional. So, you find that they carry a story,” Mukabwa says.
“It’s a piece of art. Rather than producing masses, they produce with meaning,” he adds.
“It is a slow process. So, it is passion-led. You have to have passion for you to work in that area. And also, this machine produces fabric that no electric machine can produce. That is why we are sticking to it.”
The studio’s looms are operated by hand and foot, and Mukabwa has also adapted some of the equipment to make weaving more efficient.
Kenyan artisans with experience in weaving and machine-making produce the machines—a skill Mukabwa says is becoming increasingly rare.
This article was provided by The Associated Press.