Aries‘ unreserved love for imperfection and “trash” culture is deeply rooted in its latest partnership with the female-led Moroccan initiative, Artisan Project. Through left-over and imperfect deadstock t-shirts and sweaters from the London-based label, the duo turned unwanted stock into purposeful and beautiful creations, extending their use lifecycle and contributing towards a meaningful purpose; honoring artisanship.
The non-gendered streetwear brand’s fascination with a forensic approach to garment construction alongside Artisan Project’s sacred craftsmanship is the kind of initiative that gives the industry a breath of fresh air. To have contemporary meeting tradition is to remember the artistic nature of artisanship, one that takes and gives back. Overall, the Aries and Artisan Project’s Boucherouite rugs are the awe-inspiring offering every home deserves.
Made by fourth-generation, female-led weavers in the Moroccan rural town of Ain Leuh and employing traditional craft techniques, each rug offers an invaluable type of intimacy, hard to find. Following Artisan Project’s belief that “every textile has a life cycle that’s deeply connected to the land,” the rugs utilized additional locally sourced wool for texture — a material that, while we have to note here is animal-based, in Moroccan culture is considered a “divine blessing.”
By hand cutting and knotting the carpets on a vertical loom, artisan weavers are able to give rugs an intuitive and free-formed nature that makes each one raw and one-of-a-kind. From an aesthetic point of view, each piece presents a characteristic Aries Body Paint graphic and arrives in either a predominantly black or white-centric base with a contrasting mixture of color speckling.
For those unfamiliar with the beauty of the technique, hand-weaving puts “hands, hearts and minds” to collaborate. The craft is considered a catalyst for sustainability as it does not require electricity, which avoids pollution completely and reduces manufacturing waste.
Available in small and large sizes and priced at $655 and $1,410 USD respectively, you can now buy the Deadstock Moroccan Rug on Aries’ website. To learn more about Artisan Project’s Moroccan weavers, visit this link.