( The Kahoko Sweater )

“The Kahoko sweater’s story starts with a long cherished dream of going to Kenya to work with a group of hand knitters. When this dream became reality in January 2013, I travelled to Njoro, a little village close to Nakuru, where I met a group of hand knitters who spend their days making delights in the shade of a workshop set inside a farm. Right there, the project Kahoko was born.”

The initial idea for Kahoko was to create a collection of sweaters that would globally promote and draw attention to the advanced skills of a group of artisans. During my time in Njoro, I discovered many groups of talented artisans, and the idea grew into a bigger plan with a greater goal. Instead of creating ‘just’ a collection of sweaters, the artisans’ skills are matched with contemporary design on a broader scale. A broader range of products offers the artisans a much higher profit margin, and in parallel a chance to build a better future for themselves.

Throughout the year that followed the incarnation of Kahoko, much of the goals that were set for the project were achieved. Although the sweater line never really took off, the brand Kahoko was born and our handmade interior products are now sold all around the world. However, without the sweaters Kahoko would not exist, and that for me makes this sweater symbolic to the start of a dream that I managed to make into a reality.

( Laura ) (www.ka-hoko.com)
( China )