Textile designer, Mateusz Paja has paid tribute to the Maasai and their ritual of adornment in his latest and print tastic, wax collection for my favourite house of print, Vlisco. What a dream! Matuesz said of the collection, “My inspiration was the stunning Masaai’s beadwork, jewellery and handcrafted patchwork quilts.” The Masaai live in parts of Tanzania and Kenya and are recognised by their distinctive layering of textiles and a bounty of beautiful beaded jewellery. The way the Masaai wear their beads and the colours they use depends on their (marital) status, gender and the specific rituals and ceremonies of their region.
The beadwork print as seen is available in a unique selection of colours that represent best how the Maasai use colour in their everyday lives. I love the hypnotic quality of the print and the dreamy colour schemes. Colour your world indeed!
Red symbolises unity, bravery and strength.
Blue represents the sky which brings water and therefore symbolises growth and energy.
Green represents the land, which symbolises nourishment and the growth of roots.
Orange represents animal skins which symbolises warmth and hospitality.
Yellow represents the sun which symbolises fertility and growth.
White represents milk which symbolises purity and health.
If you’re excited by this print tastic? I have written about the benefits of Vlisco before, here and here. You will find some extraordinarily good portraits of Maasai by Peter Woodward here and my Pinterest (appetitefordecoration) is a bounty of Maasai beauty en plus. Enjoy. X
APPETITE FOR DECORATION 