Funk to funky...
David Bowie is among a list of eight celebrities who have each contributed a word to be woven into a line of hand-knitted pashmina scarves for Michael Daube's Citta charity, on sale now through Tonic.com.
Here's a bit of background, edited from Tonic.com...
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Tonic hand-knit pashmina sûtra scarves by Citta
Citta and Tonic are pleased to announce our new, two-ply, 100 percent pashmina Sûtra Scarf, hand knit by the women of the Citta Himalaya Women's Center in Nepal. In Sanskrit, the word Sûtra means "a thread or line that holds things together" ? a fitting image for a project uniting a very special community of women.
Designer Lucy Barnes provided her expertise to these luxurious pieces, available in mottled grey or camel and hand embroidered with special messages chosen by celebrity supporters. From David Bowie (who chose "funk") to Susan Sarandon ("awake") to Queen Latifah ("strength"), eight actors and musicians shared words that speak to their hearts. A Berkeley scholar then translated each one into Sanskrit and passed them on to the artisans from Citta's Women's Center for the finishing touch on this perfect winter accessory.
Citta founder and spearhead of the Sûtra scarf project, Michael Daube talks about the stars he knows ? and the words they chose.
He says, "To me, all of these artists are people who are very grounded, very successful and have a very powerful and passionate way of putting words into the world."
David Bowie: Funk
"It's interesting because his definition is: It's an inner rhythm, or soul. Funk as in music, as a beat. So I was happy to figure that one out because there are several different meanings for Funk."
David Byrne: Dust
"First of all, it kind of took me back and I thought, 'Interesting,'" says Daube. "But it really made me think. I thought, 'What a small, minute thing that covers everything, is pervasive.'"
Scarlett Johansson: Reuse
"It has a very poignant meaning now because people are very wasteful. They don't think enough about consumption ... and the effect that we have on different parts of the world. When it was translated, it was very interesting because it came up as 'a respect for material.'"
Queen Latifah: Strength
"It just fit her and I thought, 'What a perfect word for her to come up with.' Then we put it to the Sanskrit professor at Berkeley and one of her meanings was 'shakti.' And shakti means strength from a female perspective, a female energy. And I thought the whole amalgamation of these choices was perfect."
Natlie Merchant: Silent
"That was easy to translate into Sanskrit because it's a very profound, descriptive word.
Thandie Newton: Surrender
"When it went to be translated by the Sanskrit scholar, it meant, 'when you take on a new understanding that absorbs your entire being.'"
Susan Sarandon: Awake
"She said, 'First you have to be awake to do anything in your life; to have an intimate relationship, to be engaged in your life, to have dialogue with anything ? you need to be awake.'"
Sting: Resolve
"His word was also very fitting for him to come up with because it's 'a sense of determination or purpose in life.'"
YOUR IMPACT
By purchasing one of Tonic and Citta's limited-edition pashmina Sûtra Scarves, you are not only treating yourself to a beautiful new piece of wearable art, you are also helping to support the women who made them. The artisans at the Women's Center in Bhaktipur, one of Citta's beneficiaries, gain skills that they can use to provide for their families while keeping their cultural traditions alive.
Due to the economic state of Nepal, many of the women there have survived hardships (such as the loss of a husband) or may be sole breadwinners for families plagued by alcoholism or violence. Trained in knitting, embroidery, beadwork, quilting and jewelry-making, they've been able to reclaim their independence, self-sufficiency and sense of healthy community.
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So there you go, enjoy the luxury of a hand-knit pashmina sûtra scarf just in time for the cold snaps around the corner and why not make a gift of one to someone close to you as we approach the holiday season.
Have a trawl around Tonic.com to find out more about this project and watch a video of Michael Daube talking about Citta and the celebrity contributions.
Or if you simply want to buy a scarf before they sell out, click on your preferred scarf above to get directly to the ordering page.
