Cassi Namoda x 11.11 Eleven Eleven

‘Made in Meditation’ captures the spirit of reverence found in tea ceremony and translates it to a Maker’s practice’, Mia Morikawa, from 11.11/ eleven eleven, explains, ‘The hand spun yarn and hand-woven fabric engaged for the capsule has the energetic signature of each Artisan that has worked on it and carries the consciousness of the land it originates from. Handmade clothing accumulates a special aura – the pieces feel very much alive because they have passed through the tender attention field of everyone that brought the garment to life. Slow made clothing feels elevated to the status of a second skin – a wearable artwork or even a companion rather than just a simple shirt, dress or jacket.’”

The collection finds its home at Garnet, the London based, online store known for its unhurried approach to retail, ‘Cassi Namoda embodies the modern Gentlewoman she sets out to dress in her collaboration with 11.11/ eleven eleven – a caring uniform built out of strong feminine pastels with a deep connection to earth. The collection carries 11.11/ eleven eleven’s ethical ethos in every stitch of the garment, working with local Makers from raw material to finished product’, says Garnet founder, Cornelia Andersson.

I asked Cassi and Mia what brought them together.

Cassi: ‘The collaboration with 11.11 / eleven eleven is an attempt to get back to simplicity. Simplifying life in the home. I thought about how perhaps through everything that’s happened this year we must release what no longer serves us – like the excess of clothing that has been sitting in our closets. I wanted to do something that was tangible and beautiful, grounded but ethereal, rooted in my practice – all the color in this collection are natural dyes that are inspired by my paintings, the shapes are uniform yet feminine. Collaboration is a big part of my practice.’

Mia: ‘CASSI NAMODA for 11.11 feels like something that was given space to grow rather than something that has been forced into a certain shape. This project was seeded 1 year ago and through a series of conversations – we have allowed it to take shape in an unrushed way with appreciation for the unfolding of unexpected results.’

Cassi: ‘My encounters with Artisans in Oaxaca and Morocco informed my decision to work with Mia, as she spoke about her ethos and about the brand I realized going to the essence of indigenous materiality and culture was the right way. I had been in dialog with other bigger brands about working together on a collection, but I couldn’t take those conversations forward because I knew that level of excess in manufacturing and that scale is not the future.’

Namoda’s taste for yellow ochre, moss green and almond colour fields, are met by 11.11 / eleven eleven’s signature natural dyes in tamarind seed, sappan wood, and pomegranate. The collection, which includes an indigenous undyed red cotton, is unified by the application of heirloom, non-GMO, short-staple kala cotton, a cultivar indigenous to India’s province of Kutch, which requires no additional water beyond annual rainfall. Available at www.garnet.cloud from 8th March 2021.

– Words by Reeme Idris