Hand-dyed in Accra and Dakar
We're so thrilled to share with you two new prints, one a hand-dyed batik made in Ghana by Edwina and her team, and the other a sitiba (stitch-resist) hand-stitched and dyed in Senegal by Cheikhouna and his family. It's a privilege to work with such skilled and talented artisans, and we hope that you'll love these textiles as much as we do!
Accra, Ghana
Wax prints as we know them today originated from the batik tradition, and we're thrilled to be able to work with this collective (hi Oparebea!) to produce hand-blocked batiks in Accra. Working with locally grown cotton, melted wax is applied to fabric, which is then dyed, and then the wax is removed leaving the design! Learn more about the process here.
Dakar, Senegal
Sitiba is a technique where the fabric is stitched into a design of tight folds and then dyed. The stitches act as a "resist" so that when they're taken out, the area inside the folds retains the original color of the fabric and the rest is dyed. Cheikhouna is one of the only remaining master dyers practicing this technique in Dakar, and we are privileged to be able to produce textiles with him!
NYC + SF // Stores re-opening!
We've missed you, and we're really excited to welcome you back to our shops!
We will be re-opening 363 Bleecker on Wednesday, July 1, and our opening hours will be Wed-Sun, from 11-5pm.
We'll be opening 1902B Fillmore on Friday, July 3, and our hours will be Fri-Sun, from 11-5pm.
(Both stores will be closed on July 4!)
As you know, our stores are cozy places, so we will be limiting the number of people to two at a time inside. We ask that you please wear a mask and maintain social distance!
We are also taking private shopping appointments, so please feel free to reach out (heyzuri@shopzuri.com) to schedule a time at either location.
These are uncharted waters for us and we're taking each day as it comes. We are taking all necessary precautions to protect both our team and you with routine cleaning and health checks, and we will be responsive to updates in state and city protocols. We can't wait to see you soon (from a safe distance of 6 ft)!
WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO // Sona Jobarteh
Two words: WOW + WOW. Sona Jobarteh's music will awaken something in you that you haven't accessed in at least 106 days, and you will truly enjoy it. A vocalist and instrumentalist from The Gambia, she is the the first professional female kora player to come out of one of the five main West African Griot families, and her music is just SO beautiful. Sit near a window, put in your headphones, and let go.
WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO // Floodlines by Vann R. Newkirk II
Though it's been 15 years since Hurricane Katrina brought devastation to New Orleans, we're still learning from its lessons today. Host Vann Newkirk brings us the stories of people who lived through the flood, revealing what really happened and how much we misunderstood.
WHAT WE'RE READING // Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby
From the first time I read Samantha Irby's essay collection, "We Are Never Meeting in Real Life," and couldn't move from the couch until I finished it, I was hooked. Non-stop giggling funny, unflinchingly raw, her newest essay collection documenting a more settled life at forty after growing up struggling with chronic illness and the loss of parents in her teens doesn't disappoint.
