Seashells Kikoy spotted at the reading Music Festival in the UK. Fantastic weekend of music, mud and no sleep! But I had my kikoy, my gumboots and my trusty sleeping bag. I wore my Seashells and Sorbet kikoy everywhere I travelled. At the beaches in Portugal, the Running of the Bulls in Spain, riding camels during a heat wave in Morrocco. I used them as towels in my backpack and a sheet to cover me as I slept on the felucca travelling down the Nile. It was used as our picnic blanket  in London on my birthday, and then as a shelter over our heads when it rained! I wore them as scarves to keep me warm walking to work every day during the UK winter and I draped them around my little room to remind me of summer!

On a cold wintry night in July, Rockpool Kikoy joined Anjel Ms on the cat walk of the Fremantle Markets Fashion Parade. To the pumping beat of Torrini’s ‘Jungle Drum’ the models brought an early summer to the night with the vibrant, warm colours of the kikoys. They teamed their kikoy sarongs and beach towels with new gorgeous beaded leather sandals we will be selling in September. We draped the girls in strands of stunning jewellery from Bangladesh and beautiful woven belts from Bali. They looked sensational and it was so much fun!

All Free Trade products are available from the Anjel Ms & Rockpool Kikoy stall at The Fremantle Markets where we are proud to be helping communities in need.

Don’t miss a return performance at the exciting Fremantle Festival in November. Dates coming soon.

Kikoy worn as a dress or sarong

It was only a little article but we were really pleased to have our kikoy beach towels featured in New Accessory of the Week on page 2 of The Weekend Australian’s Travel & Indulgence lifout!

Kikoy beach towels in ‘The Australian’ 19-20 June 2010

Rockpool Kikoy at Anjel Ms, Fremantle Markets

Need a Kikoy quickly? Rockpool Kikoys are now available every weekend of the year at the iconic Fremantle Markets in Perth, Western Australia.

Find the full range of 100% cotton wraps, sarongs, wearable beach towels and robes in the gorgeous Anjel Ms shop stall located under the central archway between the Yard and the Hall. Walk up the little steps into a beautiful collection of dreamy silk, linen and cotton voile dresses, shirts and skirts, traditional batik and leather bags, belts, jewellery and knitted cotton children’s clothing. French born designer Gaelle, worked for the luxury house Hermes in Paris before moving to Australia.  

And don’t forget your man! Anjel Ms and Rockpool Kikoy cater for the loved one in your life with cotton robes, silk and cotton shirts and the most comfortable Kikoy sarong he will ever wear.

The Fremantle Markets are open every Friday from 9.00am to 8.00pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9.00am to 5.00pm. www.fremantlemarkets.com.au

Rockpool Kikoy www.sarong.net.au

Anjel Ms www.anjelms.com

Your intrepid Kikoy researcher! has just returned from Kenya and the beautiful coastal archipelago. It was a really worthwhile journey other than a spot of unrest in Nairobi where 16 Somalian MP’s were arrested for misappropriating funds (undeclared income!). Rockpool Kikoy only source the superior quality kikoys of Kenya – the genuine article. I met with my wonderful supply people, visited mills, drank a lot of excellent Safari Tea and explored new alleyways to talk kikoys. Please beware of buying cheap kikoys…the poor quality with unstable dyes give the beautiful kikoy a bad name. I happily met with my very talented knotters who are pleased with the ongoing orders. Every kikoy sold through Rockpool Kikoy benefits the local textile communities. We are very proud to be helping families and their communities survive and become stronger through trade.

Kikoys and friendship

Travelling-

We did head up the coast in an open dinghy (with provisions for 2 days – including a decent size kingfish! and a jar of locally grown cashew nuts packed loosely in woven baskets), weaving through the mangrove channels to Kiwayuu just south of the Somalia border. The area is bordered by a Marine Park which makes it difficult for the local fishermen to make a living. It is very isolated but beautiful. The Kiwayuu villages have made a brilliant industry collecting old flip flops (thongs!) washed up on the beach. During the monsoon rains all the broken flip flops make their way out to sea where the currents push them up to Kiwayuu. The women slice the thongs into flat pieces and make fish mobiles, flowers, hair elastics and colourful beaded fly curtains to hang in doorways. They sell them at the markets further south in Mombassa. This is the ultimate in recycling!

You can see the wonderful documentary about Flip-Flotsam on www.journeyman.tv?lid=12179 or YouTube.

We didn’t have time to head bush this trip but did meet a gentle, sweet giraffe by the name of Daisy who licked pellets of grain from our hands and even accepted a big hug from us.

Pink Everlasting Kikoy scarf with beautiful contrasting white fringe

Rockpool Kikoy will be represented at the St Hildas Bazaar this year. Held on Sunday 9 May 2010 the Bazaar will be a great opportunity for little kids and big kids! to give their mum a big hug, and make them something wonderful or buy a little gift to let them know how much they’re loved and appreciated.

Look out for the colourful and vibrant display of Kikoy wraps and sarongs, beach towels, beach dresses and summer Robes. All the Kikoy fabric is 100% cotton and the Kikoy sarongs are also beautiful to wear as a summer pashmina.  Stunning flowers,  pearl jewellery, xquisite organic skincare,  olive oil, olives , yummy jams, preserves and much more will be available. Hope to see you there!

St Hildas Church England Girls School. Chidley Campus, Mc Cabe Street, Mosman Park, Perth.  Western Australia. 10.30am - 3.00pm

Rockpool Kikoy has been featured in Scoop Magazine’s 51 Autumn Edition 2010! In Style News  Editor Rachael Ciccareelli suggests the gorgeous warm Kikoy scarf could be the new quintessential fashion item when the weather turns chilly. Read the article here.

(Click on) Looking sensational in the very versatile Charcoal Kikoy scarf 

Parrot Fish Kikoy scarf

Rockpool Kikoy sell their beautiful sarongs aboard the multi award winning True North of North Star Cruises Australia. North Star Cruises is the Kimberlies longest established adventure cruise operator and the only cruise that travels with a full time helicoptor to explore the spectacular region of Northern Australia, Rowley Shoals and New Guinea. The True North has won both national and state tourism awards and is the benchmark in luxury adventure tourism.

www.northstarcruises.com.au 

Spectacular underwater Sea Urchin Kikoy sarong

Blue skies, crystal clear water and velvet, soft sand. Is there anywhere better to chill out than on the beach on a hot Christmas Day with your Rockpool Kikoy, Beach Towel or Beach Dress?

Sun, sand and Kikoy Beach Towels on South Beach, Dongara

Absolutely the BEST and most popular Christmas present in Australia. Unwrap your Kikoys with family and friends and then head to the beach for the traditional Aussie swim on Christmas Day.

The Kikoy is a fabulously absorbant towel to spread out on the sand and doze in the sun and eat big slices of cool watermelon. Chill out on the body board, throw the tennis ball, dunk a few friends in the water,  body surf the waves.  A game of beach cricket is pretty obligatory too. Just remember to liberally apply zinc cream to your nose and shade your shoulders with your new beautiful kikoy!

Kikoys can be bought online at www.sarongs.net.au

Did you know the Kikoy is traditionally a men’s sarong? But like all good things, women will often commondere them as their own. If your loved one is a sarong lover then the Kikoy is for him!

The Kikoy is worn on the East coast of Africa by the Swahili fishermen as they fish for lobster, prawns  and even beautiful large turtles which they catch and hoist onto their dhows to bring back to shore for tagging and then release. The most popular colours are Smokebush (Grey with orange border), Charcoal (Black with red border), Rainforest (Dark green with black border) and True Blue (Blue with red border).

Men especially love the robust weave of the soft cotton. The Swahilis wrap the kikoy tightly around their waist and then roll the top outwards a couple of times before pulling down firmly onto their hips. The weave of the cotton grips firmly and stays. Many customers have told me that when they lived in East Africa they even wore their Kikoys to bed. They still do.

So if he loves wearing a sarong, spoil your man and buy him the best – a ROCKPOOL KIKOY

www.sarong.net.au

Charcoal and Smokebush Kikoys worn traditionally on the Lamu Archipelago