From Brazil to Your Wardrobe: The Story of Our Coastal Collection

The Brazil Collection did not begin in a design studio. It began on a stretch of coastline where the water is clear and warm and the women who live there have been crocheting for as long as anyone can remember.

Finding the Artisans

CHAÏA founder Chaya Mobasser first encountered Brazilian coastal crochet not in a fashion context, but as something you simply see when you travel along the northeastern coast of Brazil. Women selling handmade pieces at markets, wearing them as everyday clothing, gifting them at celebrations.

The quality was extraordinary. The techniques — filet crochet, granny square construction, the intricate pineapple stitch — were being applied with a level of skill and regional variation that made each piece genuinely distinct. These were not craft projects. They were art objects that happened to be wearable.

The challenge was creating a direct relationship that was sustainable — one that paid fairly, respected the artisans' pace and creative traditions, and resulted in pieces that could reach an international market without losing what made them special.

The Geography of the Collection

Our Brazil Collection draws from multiple regions, each with its own character:

• Rio de Janeiro — more structured, geometric patterns, influenced by the city's architectural energy and cosmopolitan craft tradition
• Trancoso — the remote Bahian beach village known globally as a hideaway for artists and travelers. The crochet here is lighter, airier, with organic flowing shapes that mirror the landscape
• Bahia — vibrant, with influences from Afro-Brazilian cultural traditions. Richer color combinations and more complex layered patterns

These regional differences are visible in the collection if you look for them — and invisible if you do not, because all of it holds together as a coherent aesthetic language: relaxed luxury, rooted in a specific place.

The Techniques

Three primary techniques appear across our Brazil Collection:

Filet crochet creates an open-grid mesh using chain stitches and double crochets. The pattern appears as positive and negative space — filled and open squares that can form geometric or even figurative designs. It is one of the most technically demanding forms of crochet and produces some of the most visually striking results.

Granny squares are small, modular units assembled into larger garments. The craftsmanship is in the assembly — how the squares are connected, the consistency of tension across hundreds of units, the overall construction of a garment from discrete parts. A granny square piece done badly looks patchwork and cheap. Done with mastery, it looks intentional and architectural.

Pineapple stitch is a decorative pattern that creates fan-shaped motifs resembling a pineapple — a symbol of hospitality and welcome in many cultures. It is technically demanding and visually distinctive, producing a textural depth that photography barely captures.

Shop the Collection

Explore the full Brazil Collection including our crochet tops, crochet bottoms, and sets and dresses. Each piece ships with information about its origin — because we believe you should know where your clothes come from.