A Strange Textile Find....

2 days ago I got -again- a beautiful gift  from a former student. Nahad was born in Afghanistan and came with her family to the Netherlands years ago as refugee. She has finished our fashion course some years ago. Her final collection was about eveningdresses made out of traditional blue  Bhurka's (I wrote about it in this blogpost). 


Now a new collection designed by her is currently made by our 3th year students. Also made from Bhurka's but in different colours combined with other fabrics.
When she left school I got a really beautiful  Pakol from her, made by the best Pakol maker in Kabul. 

I always wonder what would happen if I would phone them up and tell them that the hat is very special to me..


But what is a Pakol ??


The Pakol also spelled Pakul or Khapol, Kapol, Kapor, chitrali topi and sometimes called a Mujahideen Cap from Chitral, is a soft, round-topped men's hat, typically of wool and found in any of a variety of earthy colors: brown, black, gray, or ivory. Before it is fitted, it resembles a bag with a round, flat bottom. The wearer rolls up the sides nearly to the top, forming a thick band, which then rests on the head like a beret or cap. It is seen as a hat of the Pashtun people.(all from Wikipedia and more about this hat can be read HERE)

But this week I got another one. 
Slightly different.. 
The colour...Ivory
The fabric is more coarse.... and the rim is not that flexible...
But than looking inside I found something really interesting...

It says translated: Hospitallaundry Vejle (a City in Danmark)
Which means that somehow this piece of fabric came into the workshop of this hatmaker.


How and Why is the question....
What kind of trip did this piece of fabric make?
The most logical is that it has belonged to articles send by an International Huminitarianism movement as the Red Cross or some specific Danish Movement.
This for me is magic of Textiles. 
The history and story behind it..


I wil send a picture from this hat to the Hospital in Vejle because I am so curious if they can tell me on what peice of fabric this text was printed. Perhaps a laundrybag..or??


In her collection she is also using traditional embroided pieces made by young women in Afghanistan. They look Stunning..and are made some Months ago..

The typical Mirror embrodery, much seen  also in Country like India

Everything is made by hand and I just love those handmade irregular stitches on the inside..

How many hours would this take I wonder??

This morning an interesting article appeared in the Newspaper...

The head says: " Fashion of Freedom in Kunduz". 

They are called: "The Shiny Boys".

High shining shirts worn with jeans..or as the right one is wearing his shiny jacket with a traditional Shalwar kamiz. 

He maybe is not allowed to dress as the other boys do. Perhaps his father wouldn't be very happy if he would a pair of jeans with it.

It is not very often you see pictures like this, in a land which is dominated by traditional dressed men. But I guess as in all countries youngsters are trying to be fashionable as a reaction to the traditions. Or as a reaction against their parents...

Fashion and Textiles will always be my great interest. And than esspecially the Stories of Humans behind it..