HISTORY

In 1958 a young colourist and artist Barbara Sansoni and The Good Shepherd Order created the BAREFOOT concept out of a need for a rehabilitation program for young Sri Lankan women, who had little or no schooling and no skills and were placed in the care of the nuns. Today, BAREFOOT is a premier textile design company exporting worldwide.

PHILOSPHY

All BAREFOOT products are fully handmade from start to finish. The yarn is hand dyed, using premium Swiss colourfast and non-toxic dyes, then hand woven and fashioned into their world famous products.

The high quality workmanship is assured, as there is no time asserted on the weavers and needlewomen. They are not cheap substitutes for machinery, which is why BAREFOOT products are relatively expensive and will last a lifetime. BAREFOOT products are by no means mass-produced and no two pieces are the same.

BAREFOOT is not a charitable organisation. The workers receive an honest wage and the joy of being able to support themselves and their children thus acquiring dignity and self-respect. The cloth is in demand for its utility and appearance. Creative designers are encouraged to be innovative and stretch their creative intelligence. Barefoot fabrics are hand spun, hank dyed and handwoven from 100% cotton and are characterized by the vivid use of colour in geometric proportion.

Barefoot is inspired by the land and seascapes, marine life, flora and fauna of Sri Lanka and translates these into abstract geometry to produce beautiful and useful textiles.