Ibulliance: Al'umu

The sound of Ibu in Arabic is lilting, الأم , al'umu, and lovely to write. (You can listen here.) When we first began plans for an Ibu Fringe Road trip to Jordan, our team brainstormed with the design team at Jordan River Foundation, wanting to create something meaningful—both to the women who would craft it there and also exciting to our allies here. What inspired us was an oversized silk-screen of the word, Ibu, in Arabic letters. The Jordanian artisans would apply it to linen fabric and overlay it with their fine traditional embroidery—and in Ibu colors, of course!

 

I thrilled to receive images of women adding their familiar stitches to the arabesque letters, letters of the name that unites us all beyond languages. Because Ibu, a woman of respect, a mother, is also a name for those in Jordan—local women and Syrian refugees—holding the needle and thread.

 

What began as a caftan ended up as a luscious fingertip towel. I mean, you never know where these conversations will take you. We placed an order for these special gifts to send to our travelers heading to Jordan. And then, on October 7, two weeks before we were to depart, the tragic assault across the Dead Sea sent us reeling.

 

It pained me to cancel that anticipated trip. I have yet to meet the women whose hands crafted these treasures. But in receiving their work, I know—through it—their signature, their blessing, their hope.

 

What an opportunity to stand with these women, to applaud their skills and lift their hopes, even as the world trembles around them. The Ibu team chose to open this opportunity to you, to own one of these limited-edition pieces—meaningful gifts and beautiful reminders of how we are united across boundaries and borders, through war and peace. An Ibu is an al'umu is a woman of respect—wherever she rises, however she extends her hopeful hand

All the Best, 

SHW