KILA: Handwoven Turquoise, Pink Wool Backpack

Support sustainable crafts and possess your own Kenyan work of art: made once, sold once. The KILA woven backpack is the ultimate summertime accessory, beach tote and festival bag. This ethically-produced bag features bands of Turquoise and Pink in an elaborate tribal design and is woven by a member of Kenya’s highly talented Kamba tribe, working within a cooperative. Woven using a mix of recycled and new yarns, KILA will bring a pop of Kenyan colour and craft to any look you’re pulling off. Once the four days of weaving work is done, these woven backpacks are sent to a local tannery where soft, cowhide shoulder straps are made and fitted by skilled leatherworkers. KILA’s metal bead rivets are made from recycled and sand-casted brass by artisans living in Nairobi’s Kawangware slum. Each one of these woven bags is a true one-off, woven in the weaver’s preferred designs and using what recycled, coloured yarns are available. Backpacks take up to four days to weave, in between farming, housework, childcare and church. Basket weaving is a reliable source of additional income to these people, whose livelihoods otherwise depend on the unpredictable nature of agricultural work. If you’d like to learn more about this extremely creative group, you can meet the weavers HERE. Material: SISAL & RECYCLED WOOL (NATURAL & SYNTHETIC) LEATHER STRAPS Dimensions: 24cm Dia x 26cm H / 9" Dia x 10" H Please note, as this is a handmade product, dimensions & colour may vary from those shown in the photographs. HANDMADE IN KENYA