Ethiopia & Canada, Sabahar, Weaving

Inspired by ancient weaving traditions of Ethiopia, Sabahar creates exquisite handmade scarves and shawls, table linens, cushions, throws and towels, using locally sourced silk and cotton. All of their products are entirely handmade–from the spinning of the thread to the weaving of the fabric. Sabahar only uses natural fibres to create their range of cotton, silk, linen and wool products. All of the cotton is from Ethiopia and most of the silk they use is also Ethiopian. In fact, Sabahar is one of the only companies in the world making products with Ethiopian silk. Weaving is an ancient craft in Ethiopia but silk was only introduced about 15 years ago. Sabahar adopts traditional technologies to new fibres and products, remaining loyal to tradition while adjusting to contemporary tastes of the world market. Kathy Marshall, a Canadian by birth but a twenty-year resident of Ethiopia, founded Sabahar in 2004 and still works as its General Manager. Her passion for preserving and celebrating the rich weaving tradition of Ethiopia combined with her desire to create respectful and ethical work opportunities for marginalised people have laid the foundation for the company.

To follow the story of Sabahar, find them on social media here.