‘Fabric that no electric machine can produce’—the designer who’s using traditional hand looms

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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 and video were provided by The Associated Press.

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[Hillary Mukabwa, founder and lead designer at Mukabwa Studio, operating a loom]

Hillary Mukabwa (interview): “Modernisation kills the aspect of traditional craftsmen and ways of doing work. So, being a young guy, it is a bit not normal to go back. But 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.”

[Weaver weaving using a floor loom]

[Mukabwa operating a loom]

Hillary Mukabwa (interview): “The difference between the hand looms and the electric machines is that these hand looms, first of all, they are traditional. So, you find that they carry a story. It’s a piece of art, you know. Rather than producing masses, they produce with meaning. So, it’s a form of art. And also, 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.”

[Weaver warping]

[Weaver spinning yarn on a spindle]

[Clients looking at clothes designed by Mukabwa]

[Maylone Ginnette, client, looking at Mukabwa’s designs]

Maylone Ginnette (interview): “I like the clothes because one, of their quality because they are pure organic cotton and they are unique. Most of them, you can see they are unique pieces, so I think I will still choose the weaving, how they are made because of the efforts you can see people do to get the product, the end result of the product.”

[Mukabwa inspecting hand woven fabric]

Hillary Mukabwa (interview): “I never saw it as making textiles only. I saw it as preserving a culture and telling a story, because each thread had a purpose and each fabric had a story. So, it was like, this is something new to me, but it has been. So, let me make it bigger so that the world can see what this is.”

[Models wearing Mukabwa’s designs]

This script was provided by The Associated Press.

The related lesson for this video will be published next Tuesday.