When it comes to fashion, a little of what you fancy can do someone else good, writes Patsey Murphy
THE SCOTS MAY have their family tartans; in Ethiopia, some 82 tribes show their colours in subtle patterns and colours woven into lengths of fabric. The designer Sara Abera has a double mission: to preserve these traditional patterns - many of which are handed down by memory alone - while at the same time introducing traditional Ethiopian design and craftwork to a well-heeled international market.
She is succeeding handsomely and her company, Muya Ethiopian Abyssinian Crafts and Handwoven Products, has attracted attention in Paris, Vienna, New York and . . . Dublin. The scarves shown here are stocked by Nikki Creedon in her Donnybrook boutique, Havana, and will soon be available in Clerys. (Priced at €55, they are modelled here by Sophie Creedon.)
Muya currently employs 170 weavers and potters, and she hopes that number will rise to 500 in three years. According to Lulu O'Sullivan, who made the initial contact through Connect Ethiopia, the Irish business and trade initiative, the working conditions at Muya are exemplary, providing workers with training as well as food.
In addition to the scarves, the company produces handbags, wall-hangings, soft furnishings, cotton throws and decorative table runners. Have a look at its website, www.muyaethiopia.com.
Meanwhile, Connect Ethiopia, started by lawyer Philip Lee and businessman Brody Sweeney in 2005, continues to establish links in tourism, coffee, textiles and communications, offering expertise and seminars in banking, law, insurance, IT, engineering, nursing, teacher-training and photography, plus a number of cultural workshops. Peter Sutherland, chairman of BP and Goldman Sachs, has recently joined their advisory board, if more evidence was needed that this is an informed and ambitious group, determined to make a difference. www.connectethiopia.com