Design Talk means it’s time to meet the faces behind a brand. Today, we’d like to introduce you to Anita Walstra Bakos and the women of the extraordinary, conscious design brand Zilalila.
Zilalila is a line of hand-woven textiles — from plush throws and blankets to slouchy beanbags — but it’s so much more than just that: every single Zilalila product is handmade in Nepal, by women who take their expertise of weaving craft seriously. According to Bakos, the meaning of Zilalila in Sanskrit is “one becomes many, many become one.” This name was chosen for the brand to represent the little knits and stitches that create one whole piece through the hands of the talented, dedicated women who work on them.
Zilalila follows fairtrade practices and employs women weavers long term and Bakos, the brand’s founder, oversees the production process through frequent, regular trips to the south-Asian country. Zilalila is a female-owned, women-centric business, and their focus is on empowering women to showcase their art, make a fair living wage and get recognized for their work. Additionally, Zilalila uses a part of its proceeds from every sold item to enable Nepali children to get an education.
The products themselves focus on quality and artisanship, with every product handmade to reflect its unique attributes, authenticity, local weaving customs and traditions. The product line is made exclusively of the finest quality wool, and dyed sustainably in neutral, muted shades, to let the beauty of the knitting patterns and the handiwork shine. As their motto states, Zilalila is from and for Nepal with love.
We at DECOVRY are proud to carry a collection of their blankets and beanbags, suited to any kind of interior and ideal for cozy winter evenings, like a knitted hug.
