A long time ago, when I was little, I was spellbound by my grandma’s colorful carpets. Bright flowers adorned dark backgrounds and made me daydream about my great-grandma sitting at home and hand-knotting intricate wool rugs, while she waited for her husband who went to war. 1000 yarn threads for her to weave on the loom while making magic. These are the stories of our ancestors, netting their grief into expressive, bright art.
Making these traditional rugs brought families together, made the home a beautiful place, and passed a tradition from generation to generation. The carpet was not the only dowry the bride received from her mother on her wedding day, she received the history of her family and the craftsmanship like a secret magic spell.
We made this capsule collection to celebrate our heritage and to show the beauty of Romanian traditional art and craft. We spent a few months lurking the Internet for authentic rugs made decades ago. East European tradition is amazing and despite being disrupted by communism it survived and deserves celebrating.
It is difficult to imagine us today, sitting for months weaving traditional motifs, thread by a thread when everything can be made fast forward, but it is a nice leap in a dream from the last century.
Coats & styling by Chotronette; Photos by Alexandru Saru; Crowns by Magaela Accessories.
More info: chotronette.com
