“Tactile living”

Homeware collection
 

All AIKEN creations reflect the cultural heritage of the designer’s roots and the trajectory of Central Asian nomads. This dining collection was inspired by Kazakhstan’s culture of hospitality and the idea that every guest is treated as a ‘messenger from the heavens’. Sharing sustainable practices from her native land was at the heart of this collection and bringing people together in communities was the main objective. Each piece in the collection, from the futons to ceramics, was co-created alongside local artisans to produce simplistic yet intricate traditional patchwork, mirroring the practicality of nomadic lifestyle.

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The Körpe
Korpe is a futon made of traditional patchwork technique - “quraq”. It is a multifunctional piece of the interior. When there are many guests, instead of owning a set of chairs the host can unfold several körpes to form a perimeter of seats. Due to its ornamental design it becomes part of a decoration in one’s room. Very practical solution for modern living, too.

Körpe in this collection is made of silk velvet - “bahmal”, traditional handmade velvet made by artisans in Uzbekistan. It’s 90% silk and 10% cotton, which makes it a luxurious tactile experience. Quraq (patchwork) is designed to recycle leftover cotton from the local (Kazakhstani) textile manufacturer Adili. The filling inside is made of 100% wool from Kazakhstan.

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CREDITS:

PHOTOGRAPHER | Sabina Telagis, Idea To Concept

CREATIVE DIRECTOR | Aigerim Akenova

ASSISTANT | Aruzhan Akchanova

ARTISANS: Gulmira Ualikhan, Svetlana Polkovnikova

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH: Ethical Fashion Initiative, EU, Unesco

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