The Met Store is delighted to unveil a special-edition collection with Bolé Road Textiles. The collaboration celebrates the highly anticipated reopening of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing for the arts of Africa.
The new galleries reintroduce visitors to the Museum’s collection of African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent.
Bolé Road Textiles founder Hana Getachew selected three 20th-century African treasures to reimagine as contemporary table linens and a scarf: a kpoikpoi, or prestige hanging, from Sierra Leone; an embroidered woman’s wrapper made by the Fulani peoples of Niger; and a Malian covering known as a khasa.
Below, the Addis Ababa–born, Brooklyn-based designer reflects on the ethos of her brand, the importance of her Ethiopian heritage to her visions, and her experience collaborating with The Met.
Can you describe the brand philosophy of Bolé Road Textiles? What do you personally find particularly exceptional about Ethiopian textiles?
Our greatest desire as a brand is to create vibrant textiles that bring joy and delight to our clients. We want [them] to feel connected with the heritage and culture of Ethiopia and the process of the handweaving tradition. I like to say that Bolé Road honors people and place, and is rooted in humility and heritage. It is my hope that our clients resonate with this and feel the meaning and context behind our pieces.
I continue to be in awe of traditional Ethiopian textiles. My original inspiration was traditional women’s clothing, and it still is today. Traditional Habesha dresses are unique in Africa (and globally). They are woven with thin, muslin-like cotton, and have ornate detailing on the hem of the skirt, and often on the collar and cuffs. The detailing, called tibeb, is a dazzling display of geometric motifs and colors. These patterns are typically woven on a simple two-harness loom, which means the artisans have to manually pick or embroider them—truly amazing. I love the contrast between the white gauzy muslin and the iridescent kaleidoscopic tibeb. It still makes my eyes widen and heart swell with excitement when I see a marketplace in Addis, or a room full of women dressed in Habesha dresses.
You were a designer before establishing Bolé Road Textiles. Does your experience working for an architecture firm inform your visions for textiles?
I was trained as an interior designer and worked for over a decade in the field before starting Bolé Road. Throughout the design process, I always imagine how the final piece will look in an interior. I consider the scale and color of the final product and how that would work as a pillow or upholstery. I think my background in commercial interiors draws me to designing more modern motifs than is typically found in Ethiopian traditions, larger-scale patterns, and simple but bold color stories.
Can you walk us through your process, from design to production?
The process [of creating this collection for The Met] was a bit different from a typical Bolé Road line. It starts with an inspiration—for this collection, I had the privilege of exploring The Met’s African textiles. Once I selected the pieces, the first step I took was to hand-sketch each one. I’ve been experimenting with sketching more throughout the design process. This was a helpful step in exploring how I’d interpret the patterns and construction of the original textiles.
Once I had a feel for each textile, I used the sketches to create digital drawings to refine the designs and determine the use/function of each piece. I wanted to be as respectful to the original textiles as possible, adhering to the original uses, if possible, or products that would be similar or relevant in some way.
Since the Fulani wrapper was a piece of women’s clothing, we chose to introduce our interpretation as a scarf. Our takes on the khasa blanket and kpoikpoi prestige hanging are introduced as throws. The throws are also designed with a rod pocket...so they can be displayed as wall hangings. Since the patterns are so rich, I wanted to expand the offering, so I also designed table linens to coordinate with both throws.
After the designs were finalized and approved, I sent detailed drawings to our artisan partners, Sabahar, and they began the sampling and prototyping process. Seeing the first round of samples is a great thrill. Sometimes the pieces look exactly how I pictured them, other times I am taken by surprise! I typically make a few tweaks during the prototyping process, but overall, we had great luck with this collection—not many were needed.
Sabahar uses cotton that is sourced locally in Ethiopia. The cotton that is used to weave the fabric is spun by hand by local women, a centuries-old tradition that they preserve in their work. From there, the yarns are hand-dyed in their workshop, mostly in small pots. They also have a larger dye machine if needed. While the yarns are being prepared, the weavers set up the loom, which can take a day or so. Each vertical yarn of the fabric needs to be threaded through the loom by hand (it’s like threading hundreds of needles!). After this, the weaving can finally begin! Each panel of our throws takes a day or two to weave as well.
The woven fabrics are then washed and dried, and sent to the finishing department. The throws in this collection are hand-stitched together in a traditional style called wef igir (which translates to “bird’s foot,” named for the appearance). The beauty of the subtle, handmade variations can present some challenges. For example, Sabahar prewashes all of their textiles so clients don’t experience shrinkage. The weavers and sewers need to work diligently to match of the panels to ensure the patterns line up. Once we have an approved sample, we move on to final production so the pieces can find their way to our clients.
Tell us about your experience collaborating with The Met. What attracted you to the textiles you selected from the Museum’s Michael C. Rockefeller Wing for African art?
It is a privilege to collaborate with The Met on this collection. My greatest wish is to honor the original textiles while showcasing the continuity of African hand-loomed traditions with our pieces.
I have been obsessed with the kpoikpoi prestige hanging for some time. It’s on the cover of the book African Textiles, which I keep in my studio for inspiration. I am proud to be able to pay homage to this incredible textile. I wanted to design thoughtful pieces that venerate the intent and fabrication of the original objects. My friend Nasozi Kekembo taught me the importance of the practice through her book, African Décor Edit. Creating this line with The Met will ensure the original pieces and their lineage are acknowledged and revered for their artistry and craftsmanship.
I was interested to have the embroidered Fulani wrapper as inspiration since it was...worn by women. I thought it could be an interesting opportunity to create an accessory, since I mainly focus on decor, as well as experiment with embroidery on our textiles.
The khasa blanket reminded me so much of traditional Ethiopian gabis. I was eager to incorporate it into the line, even though the final design evolved into something more modern.
For The Met x Bolé Road Textiles collection, you worked with Brooklyn-based embroiderer Krystle Collins. What made you choose to collaborate with this particular artist?
I was familiar with Krystle’s work from seeing her in pop-ups throughout Brooklyn. I loved the playfulness in her textiles and also her technical skill. She creates pieces that celebrate the power and significance of African American culture. I wanted to bring that energy into this collection, to tie the rich traditions of African textiles carrying through artists of the diaspora, like Krystle and myself.
Shop the collection in-store at The Met Fifth Avenue and on the Bolé Road Textiles website.
