Named for Places: The Cities and Coastlines Behind Our Piece Names

If you have browsed our collections, you have noticed that nothing at CHAÏA has a generic name. There is no Dress No. 4, no Black Set. Our pieces are named for places: neighborhoods, cities, beaches, and coastlines. That is deliberate, and it says something about what we are trying to make.

Why Name a Piece After a Place?

A place carries more than a location. It carries a feeling: the light at a certain hour, the colors on a certain street, the way a certain stretch of coastline sounds at night. When we name a piece for a place, we are naming the mood we hope it carries.

It also keeps us connected to where the work comes from. Our crochet is made by hand by artisans in coastal villages in Brazil, and many of our names come from the same country: the places that shaped the colors and the pace of the work.

A Few of the Places

Here are some of the places that appear in our collection:

• Ipanema, Copacabana, and Leblon are well-known neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro. The The Ïpanema Set, the The Cöpacabana Dress, and the The Lëblon Dress carry their names.
• Trancoso is a village on the coast of Bahia, and the The Träncoso Dress is named for it. So is the The Bähia Dress, which takes the name of the state itself.
• Brasília, Salvador, Manaus, Goiânia, and Natal are Brazilian cities. The The Bräsilia Top and four of our beaded bags, the The Sälvador Bag, The Mänaus Bag, The Göiâna Bag, and The Nätal Bag, are named for them.
• Rio de Janeiro gives its name to our The Rïo de Janeiro Shorts - Silver and The Rïo de Janeiro Shorts - Rose Gold.

A Map in Your Closet

Put a few of these pieces together and you start to draw a map. A dress from Trancoso, a bag from Salvador, a pair of shorts from Rio. Each one is a small reminder that the clothes you wear come from somewhere, and from someone's hands.

What Is Coming

We are always looking at new places that inspire us. Later this year, you will see our names travel somewhere new. We do not want to spoil it, but if you follow our journal, you will be the first to know.

Why It Matters

Fast fashion is anonymous. It is made everywhere and belongs nowhere. We think there is value in the opposite: a piece with a name, a place, and a person behind it. It is part of why we make slowly, by hand, and part of why we write about our work. If you want to read more about how a piece goes from a village to your wardrobe, see From Brazil to Your Wardrobe and Behind the Stitch.

Find Your Place

Which place speaks to you? Browse the Brazil Collection and the beaded bags and pick the one whose name you like best.

Fashion that has a place in it is worth keeping.