The Mokum studio takes us behind-the-scenes to reveal the inspiration for their latest Utopia collection. The initial concept for this collection came from a desire to create an escape from the digital world through calmness and serenity in the home. Applying research of traditional textile techniques to this concept as well as a soul-enriching trip to Turkey, the Utopia collection was born.
Journal
From past to present
Ancient hand-made textile dying techniques are recreated for the 21st Century in Shibori Ombre, Mokum’s latest drapery design. This new wide width drapery utilises a double technique of woven ombre and printed shibori to replicate the traditional artisan craft.
The past is a powerful tool for the future; here we take a look into the old world textile technique of Shibori.
Shibori is an ancient Japanese dyeing technique, with the earliest known example dating back to the 8th century. The name comes from the verb root shiboru meaning to “wring, squeeze and press” and emphasises the shibori process of shaping and manipulating fabric before dyeing.
Shibori involves the precise folding, pinching, twisting and bunching of fabric before binding or knotting and submerging it in dye. There are infinite ways you can shape and compress cloth for Shibori, each manipulation resulting in a unique blurry edged repeating pattern.
The technique used depends largely on the characteristics of the fabric being dyed thus revealing beautiful organic patterns when unfolded. Shibori is an expressive and hand created process in which change, chance, accidents and idiosyncrasies give life and appeal to the artisan product.
Mokum’s Shibori Ombre adds an artistic and calming aesthetic as a window treatment and has been airo finished to create its divine soft handle. The refined colour palette is grounded with grey based neutrals, with a pop of dreamy blush pink and a traditional shibori indigo blue.
Enchanted connection
In 2015, the Mokum studio team visited Turkish textile mills, and spent their weekend exploring the enchanted region of Cappadocia. The surreal harmony of shapes and colours seen from wandering through Cappadocia nurtured a connection to the earth with a dream-like quality that resulted in the development of the Utopia collection.
The quirky town of Goreme is a magical place with its surreal cave landscape making you feel worlds away from home.
Riding through Rose Valley by horseback and marvelling at the sunrise over the valley from a hot air balloon revealed the true sense of slow living and created a desire to develop a range which would make the unattainable utopian dream feel accessible.
Top right: Grassland.
Cappadocia’s landscape inspired the dusty, atmospheric colour palette of our latest Utopia collection.
Top right: Cappadocia. Bottom left: Utopia.
Consisting of seven luxury textiles which form a complex yet resolved offering, the Utopia collection combines unexpected pairings of soft tailored surfaces with raw textural weaves and organic chalky hues with pearlescent mineral tones. The collection reveals an elegant colour palette borrowed from precious minerals, eliciting luxurious shades of marble, basalt and rose quartz.
Click here to view the Utopia collection. Visit one of our trade showrooms or contact your Account Manager if you'd like more information on this beautiful collection.
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