cool tops

Alpaca wool forms intricate geometric patterns in natural colors. The undyed yarn showcases the soft beige, cream, brown and black tones of this Andean animal. Faustino Maldonado and his family weave a cloak of extraordinary beauty.

The piece takes its name from the artisan town of Hualhuas.

Cream arabesques swirl across ebony silk in a glorious design from Melati's Collection. Created in batik, the motifs cover a feminine fan.

The silk on the fan is only a small part of a larger textile with a complete motif. Thus motifs and color could vary slightly.

Golden highlights add a regal touch to this superlative textile by the Gobah-Tengey family. Created in rich kente cloth strips, its name means "Conference in Angola." Takpekpe was designed in 1950 by the late Atsu Gobah Tengey-Seddoh to commemorate a special meeting called by the colonial governor to discuss an additional tax or levy being imposed on the subjects. The conference raised voices against the payment of the special levy.

Expert weavers, the Gobah Tengey-Seddoh Family creates this outstanding shawl in 100% cotton. Each strip requires considerable effort, and the looms are worked with both hands and feet. Strips are generally three to four inches wide and seven to ten feet long, and the length of time it takes to complete one strip varies by the complexity of the chosen pattern. The simplest use mostly vertical, or warp patterns, and an experienced weaver can make several of those in one day. But patterns with nearly all weft (horizontal thread) patterns where the warp design is hardly visible can take up to four days to complete an individual strip. Each color has its own meanings in Asante culture. Green is fertility and new harvest, gold is royalty, black is strength, aging, and spirituality, while white is purity. The patterns themselves are carefully chosen symbols, which a master weaver develops and names, often to honor people, historical events, or proverbs.

Hand wash in cool water and use a warm iron.

Saktut Raitawati in Bali presents this delightful rayon jacket, hand-stamped with an irregular pebble batik motif. Cool and airy, the jacket is slate gray with nuances of blue and green on a black background. The jacket has a relaxed fit, open front and wide three-quarter length sleeves.