When Caroline Sherman first encountered a Bilum bag at a Sydney gallery in 2014, it was a comparatively small second that might have a major impression. The handwoven accent stood out not solely as a phenomenal feat of artistry but in addition as a logo of the lives and tales behind it.
“I was immediately struck by the colour and the intricacy of the work,” she remembers.
It was then that Sherman was launched to Florence Jaukae Kamel and Barbra Pegasa, two formidable ladies from Papua New Guinea who lead teams of feminine weavers. That likelihood assembly would set her on a path to founding Among Equals, a social enterprise that showcases Papua New Guinean craftsmanship and helps neighborhood via a cross-cultural inventive endeavour.
“Flo and Barbra were looking to find a market for the weavers,” she explains. “We had some honest conversations around their needs, their hopes.” The ladies’s ambitions had been clear: to offer for his or her households, to teach their kids, and to develop abilities and enterprise acumen to construct futures that weren’t all the time assured. “By partnering together to create a platform for their work, it was our aim to reach an audience outside PNG… supporting the communities of women and their families to grow their industry, providing the women with a dignified path to independence through trade, not aid.”
It is that this ethos that underpins Among Equals’ latest chapter, a debut collaboration with Australian designer Sarah-Jane Clarke. The limited-edition line of 60 Mamari Bilum baggage is the kind of assembly of minds that feels each superbly thought of and gently radical. The baggage are crafted by the Wewak weavers, an artisan collective primarily based alongside the Sepik River and led by Sherman’s longtime collaborator and cultural advisor, Lina Singu, and her son, Edward.
“The Mamari bags carry tradition and craftsmanship forward, and when coupled with Sarah-Jane’s eye, we see that interesting crossover between tradition and modernity via the weavers’ craft and the romantic touches—the crafted grass flowers finished with freshwater pearls,” says Sherman.
In plum and forest-green nylon, anchored by pure sisal bases, the baggage boast not simply aesthetic allure but in addition the burden of generational data. “The symbolism behind the artisans’ craft is grounded in something meaningful and deeply human, an ancient tradition passed down generations from mothers to daughters,” Sherman says. Clarke’s involvement now amplifies this message.
Known for her elegant, conscious resortwear, the Sass & Bide co-founder brings a particular coastal restraint to those designs, permitting the Bilum to stay the star. And after all, the collaboration extends far past the arm. Proceeds from the Mamari line will fund the creation of a brand new Blue Haus for the Wewak weavers, modelled after the primary one inbuilt Goroka in 2017. “It is a safe space, overseen by Florence, available to the women who need to seek care or refuge,” explains Sherman. “The space provides a base for training and a crucial point of connection.”
Sherman has seen its impression firsthand: cycles of gendered violence interrupted, kids returning to highschool, and entry to healthcare widening. “It is our aim to build a Blue Haus in each of the eight provinces we are connected to, and thanks to Sarah-Jane’s support, we are thrilled to be moving forward with the Wewak space.”
A bag, ultimately, will be way more than a bag. In the arms of those ladies, they turn out to be a lifeline, a cultural vessel. Through time-honoured craft, these items weave the foundations for neighborhood help and autonomy.
Shop the gathering or uncover extra in regards to the essential work happening inside Among Equals and the PNG neighborhood right here.