Patterns

The Circle of Life

The modern wax print in our Circle of Life collection is full of energy.

Designed and manufactured by the fabric house Vlisco, this colorful fabric truly stands out with its vibrant pop palette of magenta, yellow, red, navy and blue, with silver embellishment. Unlike the more traditional patterns in Vlisco’s body of work, the Circle of Life cannot be traced back to any traditional meaning — so we took the opportunity to tell our own story with the mandala shapes of this energetic print.

heritage

The colors of the Circle of Life

Magenta is a relatively new colour in a family of fabric dyes, but ever since its development in the 1860s, it has been prized for its lively vibrancy. A century later, this joyful colour became widely popular in the psychedelic art prints of the 1960s. It is also very common in tropical and sub-tropical flora, as the high contrast between magenta and bright green makes the flowers visible for pollination. The yellow in the print is exultant and radiant with energy, and in many cultures this color is linked to wisdom. For medieval alchemists, yellow symbolized a long process of making gold, which metaphorically meant to arrive at psychological wholeness and integration.

the maakola meaning

A never-ending energy flow

What first attracted our attention to this striking print was its mandala-like pattern; at first sight, these circles look like they are in motion, with a never-ending energy flow. The Sanskrit name for “circle”, a mandala is a design with a spiritual and symbolic purpose in Hindu and Buddhist cultures. The circle represents totality, wholeness and cyclic movement, and is often divided into smaller concentric circles, geometric shapes and patterns. Widely used to represent cosmos and wholeness, the mandala is a diagram of the inner world extending beyond physical body and mind.

Triangles in mandalas usually point to action and energy, or even creativity. The mandalas in the Circle of Life pattern suggest a circular movement and flow from one to the other. The flow is essential in our inner and outer lives, giving us growth, movement, direction, and also freedom through the ability to let go. It symbolizes wisdom achieved through meditation and spiritual practices such as yoga. Through the connection to the flow of life, a great deal of goodness becomes available to us.

Our design

How we work with the Circle of Life Fabric

We leaned into the mandala shapes of this beautiful print to create our Circle of Life collection: The placement of the mandala in the center of the bodice of our maxi dresses highlights this symbol of energy and renewal.

The Fabric

A Guaranteed Real Dutch Wax Hollandais, the Circle of Life fabric features an identical print on both sides. What makes it different from more traditional Wax Hollandais prints is that we won’t find the batik effect here. Rather, the colours are in a very bright palette with a standout magenta and metallic silver embellishment. Soft with a natural sheen, the fabric has a luxe feel next to the skin, yet it also holds its shape just right; made from premium cotton in a weight of 120 gr/m, it is perfect for lightweight, flowing dresses and tops, and summer pants and jackets.

This fabric is very simple to care for — simply hand wash it in lukewarm water and iron on the reverse at a maximum temperature of 110°C.

from the shop

Ubunutu exists when people unite for a common good, like the global fight against the coronavirus. Facemasks have become a device for the common good, an essential accessory in our daily lives, protecting ourselves and others at the same time. Our Ubuntu Mask collection consists of a series of facemasks in our signature African Prints, made from high-quality materials. They are washable, comfortable, and breathable, so you can finish off your sophisticated look.