a plant based collection
SUSTAINETTLE
After TRAILS and VIEWS, SUSTAINETTLE is the third exclusive collection to continue Sebastian Herkner‘s successful collaboration with M2R.
Made from pure Himalayan nettle, SUSTAINETTLE is the first purely plant-based collection from M2R. The designs with their iconically simple lines are based on hand drawings by Sebastian Herkner. The highlight: the minimalist, single-colored rugs are knotted in different pile heights. Depending on the angle of view and incidence of light, this creates new, fascinatingly varied structures and impressions that emphasize the special character of this extraordinary and durable material.
The SUSTAINETTLE collection is sustainable and timeless in the very best sense in terms of production methods, materials and design. This makes SUSTAINETTLE a statement.
The M2R SUSTAINETTLE collection is made from the innovative material nettle. The Himalayan nettle grows wild in the primeval forests of Nepal in the foothills of the Giant Mountains (001, 002). It therefore requires no re- sources such as farmland or water for cultivation and grows back quickly and easily as a seasonal plant.
When they are completely dry after the summer, the plants are usually harvested by hand in October (003). The plant stems are the basic material for production.
After harvesting, the stalks are first slit into fibers, rinsed in mountain rainwater without additives (004) and then beaten by hand until they are soft enough (005). The processed fibers are then placed in boiling water for around six hours, beaten again and washed a second time. The water is stored and later used to water the fields.
Boiling darkens the fibers. To make them light again and thus treatable with dye, they are bleached with white clay in the next processing step (006). After drying (007), the fibers look like raw wool (008) and can be spun (009, 010), dyed and knotted accordingly.
Nettle production has become a good source of income for small farmers in rural areas of Nepal.
