KAPOLANA
/capulana/ [pt]
Wax print fabric.
Cotton fabric originally imported
from India and Persia. Traded in the the market in the lands of Polana, that is where
it gets its name from Ka (prefix meaning in/of). Traditionally worn by women around the waist, to carry babies and to make dresses for special occasions.
Kapolana is also worn by the bride’s
family as part of lobola ceremony (traditional wedding). In my practice, we design, we tell textile stories in capulana. The fabric is also used in my
traditional healing practice, representing specific spirits, totem animals, and ancestors.
Currently I am researching the idea of creating sacred textiles, capulans that are designed and produced with prayer and intention for a specific healer using symbols, totems and other clan references.
Kapolana textiles pattern cutting in process.
Author
—
Wacy Zacarias.
Designer, activist and healer at Karingana Textiles and Woogui.
Maputo, Mozambique.
Wacy Zacarias has lived and studied in Berlin, London, New York and Johannesburg and is currently based in Mozambique. In 2010 Wacy was awarded the Best Young Designer award during Mozambique Fashion Week after founding her brand Woogui. Following this, Wacy established a partnership with designer Djamila de Sousa and together launched a surface and textiles brand Karingana Wa Karingana. Wacy is part of an international female collective, African Textile Innovation Lab and co-founder of a cooperative of designers (CRIAMOZ), with the aim to improve access to market, product development and supply chain development in the creative industry in Mozambique.
#nativematerial #sacred #design #textiles
Author
—
Wacy Zacarias.
Designer, activist and healer at Karingana Textiles and Woogui.
Maputo, Mozambique.
Wacy Zacarias has lived and studied in Berlin, London, New York and Johannesburg and is currently based in Mozambique. In 2010 Wacy was awarded the Best Young Designer award during Mozambique Fashion Week after founding her brand Woogui. Following this, Wacy established a partnership with designer Djamila de Sousa and together launched a surface and textiles brand Karingana Wa Karingana. Wacy is part of an international female collective, African Textile Innovation Lab and co-founder of a cooperative of designers (CRIAMOZ), with the aim to improve access to market, product development and supply chain development in the creative industry in Mozambique.
#nativematerial #sacred #design #textiles