ISHKAR X Skateistan | Behind the Design
We're delighted to have joined forces with Skateistan to create a limited capsule collection of handmade rugs and tapestries, celebrating the courage and creativity of Afghanistan’s young skaters.
We sat down with the Skateistan team to talk about the story behind our collection, and the vital work they are doing to support young people in Afghanistan and beyond.
When did you first come across ISHKAR and what drew you to collaborate with us?
We first discovered Ishkar when walking along Columbia road where the store is and Daniel, our designer, popped inside and his immediate thought was that we needed to collaborate, as Skateistan has always dreamed of making its own Afghan rugs. Skateistan is rooted in Afghanistan, it's the birthplace of the organization and the movement we’ve fostered. It makes perfect sense to work with the local artisans and produce products that reflect our identity, while raising funds to support our Partners and participants. For every rug produced in support of Skateistan, our movement grows to reach more at-risk youth around the world.
Tell us about the inspiration behind this new rug collection.
We have a beautiful archive of photography from the early days of Skateistan in Afghanistan, so we were digging through these in the early stages of designing the rugs. Taking inspiration from our skate schools and students in Afghanistan and the environment they’re situated in. Referencing the rugged mountains, winding valleys and merging them together with the forms and structures found at our three Skate Schools in Afghanistan. Every School has a different layout and backdrops, so there was a lot to work with. We merged different ideas and forms together to capture the essence of the movement we founded there.
What do you hope our collaboration will achieve?
We hope that it will spark conversations, a dialogue which introduces a new audience to the world of Skateistan. In everything we do, the aim is to raise awareness for our movement in social skateboarding and how it is building community at large, and resilience in individuals. The rugs are unique and we think that alone will make them withstand the test of time. Have you ever seen a skateboarder on an Afghan artisanal rug before? We haven’t. But beyond that, the goal is to raise funds for our programs in Afghanistan which will help us to continue providing safe spaces for at-risk youth where they can learn, play & shape their futures.
Each rug and tapestry is named after uplifting concepts and symbols - from freedom and hope, to the sun and butterfly. How do these ideas relate to Skateistan's work?
These rugs, and their names, are a testament to both the concepts we put forward to our participants, and actual students from the earlier days of Skateistan. There were an awful lot of challenges when Skateistan began, all the way to today — from the mundane, to the downright horrific. Students came and went, politics changed, and the rights of citizens — especially girls — in the communities we served were stripped away. There were closures, bombings, even deaths. These rugs are a small but meaningful tribute to the individuals and concepts which embody precisely that resilience which got us, our Partners and our participants through the past two decades of Skateistan.
What is your favourite design?
It has to be the large hand knotted rug called ‘Azadi’, as it really captures the essence of Skateistan, taking the viewer on the journey to our “ land of skate” (the literal translation of Skateistan) and beyond. Thanks to the intricacy of the hand knotted technique, we were able to add more detail to this design which makes it feel like the parent carpet, with the flatweaves as the children. We feel that the 3 flatweaves come together harmoniously, with the Azadi embodying all three, making the entire set feel really connected.
Each piece in the collection has been made entirely by hand in Afghanistan, using traditional techniques passed down over generations.
30% of the proceeds from this collection will be donated to Skateistan, helping provide safe spaces, skateboarding programmes and education for children in at-risk communities.