The Mingei Cotton Collection
Nostalgic. Utilitarian. Analogue.
Mingei is timeless; it eschews ornamentation & ostentation, and embraces a functional practicality & universal beauty.
This collection is a celebration of India's village-based textile heritage - the hand spinning & weaving of textured cotton, the depth of indigo & other, local natural dyes, the imperfection of hand embroidery, the bold visuals of madras checks & ikat, and the richness of jamdani. Mingei transcends the humble cloth from which it is crafted, & embodies a narrative of cultural reverence & artisanal ingenuity.
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These rustic folk textiles have found a home in our range of fuss-free wardrobe staples, inspired by folk-wear from around the world & designed for freedom of movement & maximum comfort. Wear Mingei for strawberry picking, contemplative forest walks, & shopping at your local farmer's market.
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Mingei is named after Japan's Mingei (art of the people) Movement of the early 1900s which identified beauty in the honest simplicity & utilitarianism of folk crafts created by anonymous, village craftspeople. The movement was an antidote to unchecked industrialisation & a means of cultural preservation.
House of Wandering Silk's founder, Katherine Neumann, has married her 20+ years of living & working in Japan & India: Japanese folk textile elements - kasuri, sashiko & boro - fuse with India's khadi - handspun & woven - cotton, so celebrated by Gandhi & a symbol of self-reliance.
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Our cottons are woven & dyed by Weavers Societies in West Bengal & Gujarat, and Womenweave in Madhya Pradesh, and stitched by brothers Parvez & Lal in Delhi.
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