You guys. Last night our first box of FRANKITAS bags arrived just in time for our December pop up event! What is a FRANKITAS bag and why do I have a box of them?
They are absolutely gorgeous and unique handbags, clutches, and jewelry. However, being beautiful isn’t quite enough to make it into The Hunt Shop closet. So what else? These beauties are ethically sourced and produced! They purchase the fabrics direct from weavers in local communities in Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Uzbekistan to empower the communities to become economically sustainable. They are also hand sewn by artisans.
Currently they have a gallery in Kuala Lumpur but are otherwise based entirely on Facebook and Instagram. You can follow them @frankitas. They have plans to open a shop in the Maldives in 2016.
We became involved when a dear friend and loyal Hunt Shop customer living in Singapore asked if we would like to help bring these beautiful bags to the US market. We jumped at the opportunity to support such a wonderful cause and add them to The Hunt Shop closet.
We have a limited number and will only be selling them at our December pop up event. Be sure to get there early to have your pick! Click here to visit the FRANKITAS website to see more of these beautiful items and learn about the brand! Below I have included my favorite excerpts.
STORY
FRANKITAS’ collection of bags and purses are made from traditional ethnic textiles that are rich in heritage and history. Infused with striking contemporary colours and design, they appeal to women who embrace a distinctive taste to express their personal style effortlessly.
Supporting skilled artisans from Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Africa and Central Asia, FRANKITAS uses traditional textile motifs such as Ikat, Batik, Songket, Tenun and Rangrang. These elements are synonymous in the signature statement of a FRANKITAS and will always remain its ethos.
PEOPLE
FRANKITAS aims to build a working community by creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged crafters in remote areas so that they may continue to create traditional works of art.
To achieve this, FRANKITAS purchases textiles at fair trade prices directly from the weavers or through NGO’s that represent them, in places like the villages of Indonesia, Flores Island, Nus Tenggara, Lombok and many more.
FRANKITAS’ collection is handcrafted by talented men and women from different parts of Indonesia and Malaysia; Titin Martini from Bogor, Ahmadi Yaacob from Pahang, Luh Ria from Bali and Ujang Sholihin from Bandung, Ibu Ina Miatim from Lombok and Daljeet Kaur from Malaysia.
TEXTILES
FRANKITAS’ textiles are hand woven using age old traditional methods of weaving and tie dying. Some of our hand-woven fabrics can take up 5 to 22 days to create, depending on the complexity of the motifs as well as the number of colours used.
• BATIK is one of the most widely known textiles, that uses hand done wax- resist dying method. Since 13th century South East Asia, Batik holds a special place as a cultural symbol of clothing worn as a sarong by both men and women. Frankitas commonly uses batiks from Indonesia, Malaysia as well as Africa.
• IKAT is one of the most eco-friendly, hand-woven fabrics using either organic cotton or pure silk. The word ikat means to bind or to tie. Today, Ikat is used to describe both the ancient hand-loomed technique and the vibrant textiles produced. In the past, Ikat weavings were used in ceremonial dress and to decorate the entrances of homes to symbolize wealth and prestige. Today, this traditional craft is kept alive in rural settings by passionate crafts people who want to pass on these skills to their next generation. With hope and pride they work to instruct and create complex and unique pieces that ‘stand alone’ in our highly industrialized, mass-production society.
• SONGKET comes from the old musi word sungkit, which means “to hook”. It is a hand-woven fabric, in silk and cotton that belongs to the brocade family of textiles of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. This work of art is intricately patterned with gold or silver threads, once only worn by royalties. The metallic threads stand out against the background cloth to create a shimmering effect, with its combination of distinctive gold or silver thread woven into black silk.
• RANGRANG is beautiful and extremely colourful hand woven textile from the island of Bali and Lombok, with its signature diamonds and chevron motifs. Rangrang literately means “holes” in Balinese because of small holes on the surface of the fabric that create the motif.
FOUNDER
Francisca Turner Shaik, Founder and Creative Director of Frankitas and also the namesake behind Frankitas. ‘Franki’ short for Francisca and ‘tas’ meaning bag in Indonesian. Franki’s Javanese roots, Malaysian upbringing and worldly travels nurtured her enduring love for ethnic, hand-woven fabrics for the heritage and craftsmanship they represent. Franki lives in Malaysia with her husband and 3 children.
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