armadillo&co has drawn on the childhood experiences of one of its co-founders as inspiration for its latest pieces.
co-founder sally pottharst grew up in zimbabwe and used this experience to expand the earth collection with the masai weave and the serengeti weave.
“i’ve always been intuitively drawn to the simple but striking geometric patterns,” she says. “this herringbone design is a classic and we’ve presented it with a more primitive feeling.
“as a child i was mesmerised by the beautiful traditional patterns of africa. there’s a naivety that’s also incredibly sophisticated in its simplicity.”
co-founder jodie fried is also a fan of the patterns.
“graphic designs have always been an influence in my work and i love the simplicity of the geometric diamond repetition, especially in the red, although we love that such a powerful design can be softened by natural tones too,” says fried.
the serengeti weave is available in charcoal/natural, natural/ivory and charcoal/shale, while the masai comes in white/crimson, natural/granite and shale/granite. both are hand woven from hard-wearing hemp in india.
“it takes real expertise to craft the fine weave with such precision – look at those sharp corners. our weavers are so incredibly nimble fingered, it’s knowledge handed down through generations of families,” fried explains.
each purchase from armadillo&co benefits schools in the weaver’s villages.
