Embroidery, art of decorating material, primarily textile fabric, by means of a needle and thread (and sometimes fine wire). The basic techniques include crewel work, needlepoint, cross-stitch embroidery, and quilting, as well as quillwork and featherwork. (https://www.britannica.com/art/embroidery)
Before factories and machines, the fabric of our global history and culture was slowly and meticulously sewn into existence, by some of the most hardworking and skilled artisans around the world.
The practice of embroidery can be found in evidence from the Ancient Egyptians, Persians, and Greeks. Ornate golden embroidery was used in expensive textiles dating back to the Byzantine, while delicate silk was woven into the robes and clothing of royalty in Ancient China. Then, it became more popularly recognized thanks to the European Renaissance, and largely due to trade.
Embroidery looks different in every country. Through color, design, and culture, this ancient practice is like a global road map leading to beauty and individuality. It is the fabric that unites a community.
As a young girl in India, our founder Amrita grew up with an intimate knowledge of hand embroidery from a young age. Hand embroidery is an incredibly popular practice in Indian textiles, and can be commonly found in every household. From everyday clothing to bedsheets, diverse embroidery designs showcase the vibrancy of many Indian cultural identities. The teaching of this skill is typically passed down through generations, uniting women through the art of hand embroidery.
NEOCOCO was founded in 2017 in an effort to unite a community and uplift marginalized people in need of ethical work. Our Neococo team members had landed in LA after an arduous journey of seeking asylum as a refugee. They left behind their homelands, ridden with violence or war conflict, throughout Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.
When the creative process began, there was no question about how we would make it work. We discovered that hand embroidery was known to each of our team members in uniquely intimate ways. The process is slow, creative, therapeutic, and highly skilled.
Our main vision for Neococo is to use these creative and therapeutic techniques such as hand embroidery, block printing, weaving, and more modalities for artisanship, as a way to showcase more products made by the women of our team, and under the Neococo Collective.
This Collective will include a team of Necoco artisans in every state, as well as independent creators. Shopping at The Neococo Collective will make supporting your local small business, and local artisan community that much easier. In conclusion, our dream is to be a part of a shifting culture - one that both challenges and redefines ideas in consumption, financial equity, business ethics, social justice, slow fashion, and sustainable development.
We may just be one small business with big dreams, but we know that we are not alone, and we are so excited to make the future a better place together.
Come with us.
XO
NEOCOCO