SNEAK PEEK! // Sampling our Newest Made In Kenya Prints
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For the last few months, we've been sampling some fabulous organic designs by graphic artists Lulu Kitololo, Jo Kalute, and Shadé Akanbi for our 100% Made in Kenya collection. We thought it would be fun to share what we've been working on, as well as to show you a bit about how the sampling process works!
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In order to create a physical fabric sample from a digital file, there are layers of film (one per color), which, through the process of transfer lithography, are manually applied to the fabric through a screen. Here, you can see various colorways of a new design by Jo Kalute, as well as the layered films of a new Lulu Kitololo print!
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Once we receive the table samples, we'll think about how the colors and scale will look when worn. Here, you can see some fun samples from Lulu Kitololo (center) as well as Shadé Akanbi (top and bottom). This also gives us a nice idea of how the pattern will lay as a dress, or whether we think it would be a fun shirt. One of the best parts about this process is sharing the designs with the artists, so they can see their work in living color!
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Before we go to print, we almost always sample a few colorways to have some options to compare. Here are 3 versions of the same design by Shadé Akanbi. While we haven't yet nailed down the final palette, it definitely feels like a "no wrong answer" situation:) There's always something new in the works, and we can't wait to share the latest dresses with you in the coming weeks!
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WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO // Maloya ton Tisane by Michou
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From Réunion Island off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, traditional Maloya music uses only percussion and the musical bow and is typically sung in Réunion creole--it's a beautiful style of music. We linked to a track by Michou, which is a particularly great entry point to this genre, which we recently learned about and haven't stopped listening to since!
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WHAT WE'RE READING // Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong
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This collection of essays by poet and writer Cathy Park Hong is a powerful statement on what it means and feels to be Asian American, specifically Korean American, in the US today. With the ongoing rise in violence towards Asian Americans across the country, especially women, these essays dive into the racial consciousness of our country through the lens of Hong, and through her specific experiences, she points out the complexity and contradictions of the multitudes contained in Asian America.
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n her opinion piece in today's New York Times, NYU Professor of Law (and Zuri customer extraordinaire) Melissa Murray discusses the question of whether supreme court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson's identity as a mother will be invoked in the confirmation process, as it was when Amy Coney Barrett was nominated and later confirmed. As she points out, "Her ascent is not just a testament to her brilliance and professional acumen. It also speaks to her grit, resilience and drive to succeed — admirable, relatable qualities that could overshadow the expected charges of identity politics."
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