A soft introduction to South African textiles in the heart of Mayfair.

At the tail end of April, we hosted our first industry breakfast in London – an intimate morning curated by Alice Wawrik (@by_alice_home), designed to introduce Mungo to a circle of editors, stylists, and creatives who share a love of beautiful, considered design.

Set in the cosy surrounds of Kleinsky’s, the beloved Cape Town deli’s new London outpost in Mayfair, the morning featured a relaxed spread of bagels, coffee, and a few glasses of Babylonstoren’s Sprankel (a nod to our South Africa roots) served alongside our signature homeware collection: flat-weave towels, textural cotton blankets, heirloom-quality table linens and natural fibre cushions.

South African Craft, Now Closer to Home

With the launch of our UK/EU store, the journey of Mungo comes full circle. What began in the mills of Yorkshire, and took shape in South Africa, has now returned to the UK – our textiles are now available with local distribution and fast, flat-rate shipping – no surprise duties, no long waits, just South African textiles at your door.

Thank you to all those who joined us for this first London moment.

Photographed by @morganelay

From UK to South Africa – and Back: The Story of Mungo

The story of Mungo begins long before the first flat-weave towel was woven or the mill doors opened.

Born in High Bentham – a hamlet with three textile mills – our founder and Master Weaver, Stuart Holding, was immersed in the world of weaving from a young age. In the 1960s, he undertook a five-year apprenticeship in the Yorkshire silk mills, a formative journey that would spark a lifelong passion for textile making.

From there, the story unfolds with adventure, family (and love). Stuart travelled the world, eventually settling in South Africa’s Garden Route, where he met his wife, Janet, and laid down roots.

In 1998, working from an old barn at Old Nick Village (a historic homestead that now houses our mill and flagship store), he began weaving short runs of natural fibre textiles on two carefully restored Lancashire looms. His vision was to make quality, considered, natural fibre homeware – and to make the process of visible to all who wished to see it.

Today, Mungo has grown from that barn into Mungo Mill, and is now home to a team of nearly 100. And yet, those original looms still run, and many of Stuart’s earliest designs remain part of the range. Our mill doors are open to the public – so if you ever find yourself in the area, please pay us a visit, and see the process in action.

Read next: What’s In a Name? The Story Behind ‘Mungo.’

A kikoi is more than just a cloth. Worn, wrapped, or draped, or spread, it’s a versatile garment that makes the ultimate travel companion or trans seasonal wardrobe staple.

The beauty of the kikoi lies in its multi-functionality. Whether used as a sarong, scarf, lightweight throw, beach wrap or baby sling, it’s a staple for travel and everyday life. With a durable weave that makes it a cherished companion for years to come.

Breezy and beach-bag ready, the simple (but mighty) kikoi carries with it the spirit of a sun-soaked coastline, or unhurried days on holiday.

The Story Behind the Kikoi

The kikoi, a rectangular piece of woven cloth, holds a rich history rooted in East Africa, particularly along the Swahili coast. Originally introduced by Arab traders centuries ago, the kikoi quickly evolved into a cultural icon, loved for both its vibrant patterns and practical use. Traditionally used as sarongs, kikois also serve a variety of purposes, including shawls, scarves, head wraps or throws.

Kikois, a versatile travel companion

Lightweight and quick-drying, the kikoi is a versatile companion for days on the go, and summer holiday adventuring – easily stashed in your beach tote or hiking backpack, transitioning from a quick-drying beach towel to a scarf or wrap when the sun dips. Sprawl it out over grass as a picnic blanket, wrap up your souvenirs in your travel case, or convert it into a baby sling if you’ve got a little one in tow.

It’s the year-round, well-loved companion for any adventure – one that makes the ultimate gift for any friend or family member.

GOTS-Certified Organic Cotton

The Organic Ruti Kikoi is woven from GOTS-certified organic cotton. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is a globally recognised certification that ensures that the cotton is grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers – safeguarding soil health, water quality, and biodiversity. It also upholds ethical labour standards, ensuring fair treatment of farmers and workers throughout the supply chain.

This naturally cultivated cotton results in a fabric that’s gentle on the skin, soft to the touch and breathable for year-round use.

Woven on Traditional Shuttle Looms

Our Organic Ruti Kikois are woven at our mill in Plettenberg Bay on our mid-century Ruti looms. 

One of the distinguishing features of the Ruti loom is its shuttle – a wooden bobbin inside which rests the yarn-carrying pirn. The shuttle, which flies back and forth across the warp (or vertical threads), has the unique ability to produce a true selvedge. This tightly woven, self-finished edge, which runs the length of the woven cloth, requires no extra hemming, and is a hallmark of traditional shuttle loom weaving. You’ll find the selvedge on our Lancashire loom products – our Summer Towels, and baby blankets – as well as our Linen Scarves. Look out for it as a sign of artisanal, small-batch textile weaving.

Traditional Weaving, Timeless Design

Our Ruti looms form a key piece in our story of textile making through the ages (at the Mungo Mill you’ll find a display of weaving techniques and technology right back from prehistoric times to present day). 

Our Rutis, thought to date around 1960, are semi-automatic pirn-change looms. These looms, at one time the height of weaving technology, stop when the shuttle runs out of thread. This intelligent feature revolutionise the industry, improving efficiency, and allowing a single weaver to operate multiple looms at once. 

At our mill, you’ll find two Rutis in operation. Pay a visit and see them in action – our mill doors are always open for visitors.

More from our blog:

Getting the GOTS | This one’s for you, Earth | The 2024 Kids of Kurland Kikoi

Christmas gift ideas got you stumped?
Don’t get your tinsel in a tangle.

We’ve got you covered with the ultimate Christmas gift guide –
gifts for him, for her, for Mum, for Dad, or even that quirky uncle nobody quite likes…
Explore the best Christmas gifts for everyone on your list below.

More from our blog:

Furoshiki | The Art of Cloth Wrapping

The Savannah Blanket marks a new milestone for Mungo—a first-of-its-kind multi-texture blanket that blends varying weave constructions into a striking patchwork of pattern and texture. We spoke to our designer, Lenore, about the prototyping, process and palette behind this innovative new creation.

Where did the idea for the Savannah Blanket come from?

The concept for the Savannah Blanket started a while ago, with the idea to create a blanket with multiple weave constructions. We wanted to achieve that in a way that gave texture and dimension, and that added a soft feel. 

Initially, we were limited by our old looms because they didn’t have enough shafts – the frames that lift and lower groups of warp threads to allow the weft to go through. The number of shafts determines the complexity of the patterns, and the more shafts, the greater the design possibilities.

The idea really came together with the arrival of our newest looms in mind. In June we received four state-of-the-art Dornier looms, custom-built for us in Lindau, Germany. 

Talk us through the early design phase.

I started sampling on our Saurer loom, which has 16 shafts, and so allows for a bit more design flexibility than our 12-shaft Dornier machines. The early tests didn’t come out right, and it took quite a lot of iterating.

What kinds of issues did you need to overcome?

It was quite a process, because each pattern has its own characteristics, and there’s a major difference between the woven cloth that comes off the loom (we call this ‘loomstate’), and once it comes back from a first wash. After washing, the textile shrinks – bulking up and changing its shape. Because of the different textures, some sections shrunk and others didn’t, creating alternating areas of cockled and smooth cloth. We had to find a way to get one pattern to flow into the next.

The Savannah Blanket also uses a cotton and linen ‘slub yarn’, where the thickness varies. This adds to the blanket’s texture, but also needed to be taken into consideration.

How do the new Dornier machines open up creative possibilities?

We’ve always had to be more experimental with our designs because our older looms have limited capabilities. Pattern and play needs to come through weave constructions and stripe designs. For me, that’s always been the most exciting part – working within those limitations and pushing your creativity. 

Our new Dornier looms have 24 shafts, which doubles our creative possibilities. They also allow us to directly transfer the designs onto the looms, whereas with our older machines we hand-punch the pattern cards. This can be a very time-consuming process; in the early sampling of the Savannah Blanket, it took two days to punch the card for the Saurer loom. So these new machines streamline our processing significantly. Changes can be made immediately, and so there’s a lot of more flexibility and efficiency.

What inspired the palette of the Savannah Blanket?

If you go to the Drakensberg in the dry season, there are those yellows and browns and dry grasses. The Grasslands colourways speaks of that. And then its antithesis, the rainy season – that’s Monsoon. So it’s sort of that blend of rocks and sand that you might see whilst hiking; an imitation of nature and its textures. 

What are your thoughts on the overall effect?

This was a new concept for us – making a blanket with multiple textures, as usually our textiles only have a single weave. The effect is quite beautiful and vivid, like an artwork. I think it’s really exciting. It’s exciting to see how we can move our designs into a whole new dimension. New looms, new design possibilities… Watch this space.

More from our blog:

From Yorkshire to South Africa with Stuart Holding | Barefoot Luxury | The Story of the Double Cloth

The Story Behind the Grill Apron

 One summer holiday, a long time ago, a lively household was embroiled in a classic family debate. The source of contention? The indiscriminate use of a kitchen cloth.
Some were of the opinion that a single cloth could handle everything – from holding greasy tongs and wiping off oily fingers, to mopping up spills or scattered coffee grounds.
However, others held a differing view.

So there was only one way to settle it. A new cloth would emerge, designed to meet every need.
A cloth that could rival all others in its utility – navigating the chaos of the kitchen or the barbecue with its versatility (and good looks).

Enter, the Grill Apron.

The Grill Apron is designed to meet all your kitchen or fireside culinary needs. A cloth that will allow you to grill with gusto or cook with abandon.
It’s the kind of companion that every passionate pit master needs. Or for anyone who wants to dress to impress in the kitchen.

No need for that dismally dirty, shoulder-slung dishcloth
when you’ve got a Grill Apron at your side.

Who needs the Grill Apron?

The versatility of the Grill Apron makes it the perfect gift for almost anyone who knows their way around a barbecue, a kitchen, or a backyard.

A multi-use addition that’s sure to top the ‘best gift ever received’ list for any deserving dad, barbecue-obsessed boyfriend or female who can handle the flames..

If you, or your significant other, is into any of following, this is the ultimate cloth for:

• • Barbecuing
  • Cooking
  • Baking
  • Home DIY
  • Gardening
  • Crafting
  • Looking cool
  • Saving the day
  • BBQ Thor/Campfire Cowboy cosplay

Barbecue with it, clean surfaces with it, protect your hands from the flames with it, hold hot plates with it, wipe your hands on it, keep food warm with it, cook up a storm with it.

You get the drill/grill…

Let’s face it – cooking is a messy business.

If you’ve covered every counter surface, used every pot and pan at your disposal, lost a stukkie of the wors to the dog, or spilled red wine all over your new shoes, you’re probably doing something right and everyone is having fun. 

But we all know that heavy is the title of ‘Barbecue Master’. So you might as well look good while doing it.

The Grill Apron Colourways

More from our blog:

 Provincial Onion and Camembert Tart | In the Kitchen with Karen Dudley

In conversation with David Plenderleith and Florian Baumann, the hands behind Très Nagual – an all-natural, holistic perfumery based in Cape Point. From their unassuming home base between the aloes, across from Scarborough’s iconic Scone Shack, you’ll find the pair producing small-batch, consciously crafted soaps and scents.

Find their custom-made liquid hand soaps now in our stores.

“Smell this”

The door is open to the sun. There are aloes and a purple-grey mountain. It is late afternoon, the in-between stage when the air settles into stillness. In a place where time seems to have slowed down.

David picks up a bottle of scent. He sprays the air. The fine mist catches the slow light. And instantly the room is redolent with a rich perfume. The kind that makes you close your eyes. Take a breath.

“Dry incense.”

Holy basil. Immortelle. Sandalwood.

“It’s like earth.”

There’s something about scent that shifts the energy in the room now. A softening. An opening. An ease. This is play. This is letting go. This is how friends are made.

“Scent is such a delicate perceptual door. It is much more subliminal, almost subconscious, in the way the messages come through. It can captivate. It can entice. It can shun. It holds this etheric feeling, because you can’t really see it. Present, and then fleeting. On a molecular level, natural scent is free to move. And the moment someone thinks they understand scent, it changes.”

“Shapeshifting?”

“Shapeshifting, in a way. But yet it’s formless. So there’s no form to shift.”

People amble into the shop. We fall quiet and watch. The easing, the opening, is happening for others too.

“Shifts happen within a realm of feeling. I’ve seen it so many times. Someone may enter the space, hunched, or not happy. Tense. After some time with Florian, they come out lighter and lifted. In some ways it’s the product speaking. But it’s also the transmission that happens. And for our work to uplift, that is essentially the way that aromatherapy works in healing the mind, body and emotions. But we’re doing it in a more contemporary way – rather than in treatment rooms behind closed doors, we want to make it accessible. Scent becomes an ambience that is created.”

It’s quite easy to see now. This is a place of feeling. Of learning. And perhaps unlearning too. This is experience, more than retail. In fact, the very idea that something is being sold here seems to slip away. What’s taking place is much more. The undoing, the connecting, the softening. One could easily be swept through the open doors on a yellow breeze, and casually stay forever.

“What surprises you the most about what happens here?”

“What surprises me is that people come,” says Florian. “And that is such a pleasure. It is a journey. Plants, and their essences, their memories, their function – they become your own. I like to see the bigger picture, and to take more into account than just the perfume. To look at the ‘why, how, when, and for what reason’? And I like to ask people, ‘How is your mother?’

Perhaps this says it all. The point of connection. The intimacy that can be created between strangers that soon become friends.

We are standing outside now, looking in. A girl comes to the door. She’s ridden her bicycle here. Her name is Fran. She greets Florian warmly and goes in. A new scent journey is about to begin.

“Another surprise is that whenever I am cutting soap I get a lot of people crowded around me, and they say, ‘Oh, that’s amazing! Is that a big bar of soap? I never thought that’s how it’s made.’”

But of course. So little process happens in plain sight. The same recognition that happens here, happens in the Mungo Mill. Faces turn in wonder. Shifts happen. Thoughts tick in time with the looms.

“Flo’s background is in biology,” David tells me. “He holds a scientific approach to formulation. He also trained as a chef at Silwood in Cape Town. So there’s that unique combination of gastronomy, textures, taste and smell, with the understanding of plants and their function. I would say the dance with us is that every product has both our hands. Florian brings a sense of compassionate craftsmanship; logic and thoroughness. I feel we really inspire each other and lead each other to new places of expression in the way that we co-create. We work to our strengths, and allow a space for the other to step into.”

We move inside. Now we are standing before a lineage of scents. Different batches of ‘Nefertūm.’ There are notes of lime, Amyris and blue lotus. Subtle variances in each.

“Try this one, Fran. The new batch.”

“What is interesting is that the new Nefertum lasts so long,” she says. “It’s so good. I sprayed it the other day, then I went for a bath and when I woke up I still had this scent – it was still there but it had changed. The batch that I get from your town shop is amazing. It has more of a floral base.”

We’re on to something here. The threads draw closer together. It’s about the nature of change. The changes in nature. It’s a reminder of the perfectly imperfect natural rhythms we should rest in.

“If I follow the cycles, some batches are very different from the others. The immortelle, for example, that grows out at Hemel-en-Aarde, is always different. The last batch is from a new field. The previous batch from a 3-year-old field. And so the oil is very different. But then I explain to the customers that this is the natural world, and it should be so. Once that is communicated, it actually becomes a quality unsurpassed.”

The understanding of seasonal shifts. The awareness of change. The sense of harmony. It’s a refreshing exhale in a world where uniformity has become the standard. A world obsessed with an illusion of perfection. David and Florian are small-batch, craft producers. Much like we are. They understand cycles and variances and the importance of flow. Of the mark of the maker. The mark of the material.

Another scent is introduced.

“What do you see?”

“It’s the forest.”

“Another layer to Florian is his understanding of the mind. The mechanisms of thinking. He formulates, creating an image, and then builds a scent from that place.”

“It’s wet, like the forest. Like moss, and deep, rich greens. And ferns.”

“Your words, they give me inspiration. Because now I see that I have permission to go deeper into the underground and maybe make it a little more soily too. Because you seem comfortable there, you see? So now I have direction for my next batch. That’s how seasons happen, how cycles come about. And that is my greatest freedom. So the next time you come, I’ll say, ‘Smell this – now it’s like wet terracotta.”

“This is one of my favourites,” says David, picking up Savon à Barbe. It’s a play of organic tea tree from Zimbabwe, Pure Bergamot, Virginian Cedarwood, lots of Patchouli and a touch of Sandalwood. It’s very clean – there’s a lightness. I get an image of a day at the beach – being sun kissed and salty. A little bit of suncream.”

“White shells.”

“Mmmm.”

“An aspect of the work is in living in receptivity to not only our needs, or nature’s, but someone else’s. That takes it up to their depth – from their perspective. It’s listening, in the way we formulate.”

More people come, and go, and play. Apprehensive, reserved at first. And then the lessening. The loosening. The easing into peace. The quiet healing.

“Matching scent to personality is another layer of experience. Flo has become very good at this – reading people and matching them to a scent. Perhaps something on the playful side; fruity and floral. Or we might talk about the intention of the scent, and see if that is an energy they want to step into.”

It is the closing of the light now. Three hours have passed quietly. The mountain grows its purple shadow.

“There are mornings here where the aloes are full of dew. They look like the cosmos is resting inside of them. Luminous. And that energy, that vitality, that bit of freshness that doesn’t get tiring. That’s uplifting, and happy, and very medicinal – that is Hildegard. For me Hildegard’s image is like the first light of a new day.”

And what a perfect end. As the light of this one closes. It’s in the art of looking, isn’t it?

“There is that growing sense of consciousness. People are awakening to it. Becoming conscious of your surroundings, of your actions, of your feelings. There’s the practical side – turning around the bottle, looking at the label. Thinking about what I put on my skin, the cloth I use. They say that where attention goes, energy flows. What you look at, what you seek, is seeking you.”

A last look at that wise mountain. The glowing aloes. The magic is complete.

Find Très Nagual at their stores in Cape Point and Gardens, South Africa.

Or pay a visit to one of our stores in Cape Town, Joburg or Plettenberg Bay, South Africa to discover one of their unique liquid hand soaps, custom made for Mungo using all-natural botanicals. 

If you take a wander through the Old Nick Village grounds, there’s a spot where the trees hum with activity. Flashes of yellow. Weaver birds at work. In the run up to winter, we watch them building their nests. They are known to use only the freshest and best materials, and a masterful weave. They were here before us. Perhaps they’ll outlast us. But they’re a fitting kind of mascot for the Mungo Mill. For the place we call home.

In preparation for the cooling off, we too start nesting. Finding warmth in pattern and texture. The Double Cloth comes off the loom. A warm and weighty throw, with a unique weaving construction that differs the pattern on either side. A new run of Linen Scarves is brought to life on our Ruti looms. We weave the scarf in small batches, each carefully designed to make the most of the limited colours left in yarn storage. It’s our way of designing to minimise waste, whilst making something remarkable. Each fold of shimmery fabric bears a true selvedge, a special self-finished edge particular only to shuttle looms.

We find in the colder months, and especially when the rain pours, that our Plett store is full. People trickle into the mill next door. Winter (like any) is a good time to take a tour. We open our production doors because we believe in the value of bridging the gap between maker and consumer. Between product and process. To make better choices, one must first understand, learn, and witness. Today most of us keep a safe distance from how our goods are made – faceless production, products alchemized from obscurity into existence. We feel the call to resist the surge of newness, now and novelty that has characterised contemporary retail. And the cult of silence and disillusionment that sits alongside.

Which is why we stick with the values of old: craftsmanship and quality. Transparency. Longevity. Timelessness. We hope that the Mungo product in your hand adds beauty and ritual to your bathtime, or your home. Something to be used, treasured, loved. To bring comfort. To be handed down. To bring joy.

The Double Cloth

The Linen Scarf

We’re at Villa d’Almè for one reason, to visit the linen spinners who have, for the past 150 years, meticulously transformed flax into yarn. We are far from the fields of Normandy where it is grown, yet the connections run deep, and the relationships are old.

Written by Dax Holding

Bergamo, Italy

Descending from the mountains of the Alps, you follow the streams that once fed the factories of Italy’s industrialised north. Green Alpine valleys with rapidly moving waters, ice cold from the source of melting snow. We’re at Villa d’Almè for one reason, to visit Linificio e Canapificio Nazionale and the linen spinners who have for the past 150 years meticulously transformed flax into yarn. We are far from the fields of Normandy where linen is grown, yet the connections run deep, and the relationships are old.

We enter through a mechanised glass door, ascend in a lift into a modern office space where people sit staring at screens, plying the trade of modern-day commerce. There is information on the walls telling stories and revealing history – old oil paintings of the founders, the changes that have occurred over the past 150 years. We are ushered into a large boardroom, offered coffee, and discuss the effects of market pressure, war and climate on linen.

The narrative is scary; however, we sit in the same seats that generations before us did. We are guided by their history and soothed by their presence. Soon we have spoken of the things we must speak of and it’s time to delve deeper into the building.

We travel down, out of the light, into the humid basements where the real magic happens.

Walking down the humming rows of spinning frames you are immersed in the unique smell of linen, like earth, the same smell you find standing over one of our looms in South Africa.

A smell reminiscent of the fynbos that surrounds us in Plettenberg Bay.

The workers move quietly and gently, focused, with the sure movements of people familiar and confident with the repetition of their work.

These machines were designed and made before any of our times, modified through decades of innovation to produce a little bit more, a little bit better, hopefully a little bit faster. But always using the same basic ingredients. Wood, water, iron and people. All singularly focused on twisting the long thin fibres of a grass into yarn.

We just skim the surface.

We leave the spinning process and now travel by stairway, twisting up to the top floors to find ourselves immersed in an exhibition celebrating linen, life and art. This unexpected delight takes us into yet another dimension and precipitates a completely different conversation. What are we doing as people, as businesses, to change the common narrative?

The space once filled with machines is now devoted to art. High-value real estate is no longer able to sustain production in a country where labour and the cost of doing business has forced the majority of production to move to Lithuania and Tunisia.

More on our fibres:

The Lineage of our Linen

From Flax to Fibre

MUNGO meets Ingrid and Howard Walker of Walkers Beach Boutique Hotel in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa. Bringing to form a happy marriage in both work and leisure, minimalism and maximalism and texture and tone, their beachside hotel captures barefoot luxury for discerning guests hoping to get the most out of their Garden Route escape.

It’s easy to enter vacation mode when you step through the doors of Walkers Beach Hotel, centrally located in Plettenberg Bay’s coastal hub. There’s a feeling of tranquillity, of harmony. A sense of airiness and space. Softness and subtle sunlight. It offers room to catch your breath. A feeling of reprieve from the ‘real world’. Or perhaps merely an extension of the best Plettenberg Bay has to offer – Blue Flag Beaches, mountains, and open space. Unending and unbroken sea and skylines.

So what is it that encapsulates the magic of Walkers Beach? What does it offer to the discerning guest?

A sense of peace.
A sanctuary for those seeking respite.
Incredible views and easy access to it all.
The unmistakable air of being on holiday.
Flip through the visitor’s book and you’ll find it best encapsulated:

“An enchanting retreat. A piece of paradise. The perfect place to reset and recharge.”

Book your stay directly through www.walkersbeach.com. If a safari is on your list, you can also visit Walkers Plains Camp situated in the heart of the Timbavati, bordering the Kruger National Park.

More conversations:
In Conversation with the Mungo Mill Architect
Langskuur – a barn revived and reimagined
A Conversation with Illustrator Katrin Coetzer

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As an independent weaving mill, not swayed by seasonal trends or outside demands, we have licence to play. To create one-of-a-kind products that align our design to innovate, with a commitment to quality craftsmanship.

At the Mungo Mill, we have 18 looms. A mix of antique shuttle-operated looms, and more mid-century rapier machines. Each of which have unique characteristics and charms. Under one roof, we’re able to oversee the full production line – from design, right through to warping, weaving, CMT, finishing, dispatch and retail. This gives us control over the full process. And endless room for experimentation. And it inevitably allows for flexibility to play with new designs, weave constructions and colour combinations – creating samples that are passed from hand to hand, and taken home to test, until we are satisfied that the finished product is ‘just right’.

Our designs come together through a combination of generations of passed-down skill, and creative flair. Our Master Weaver and founder, Stuart Holding, has over 50 years of experience working with textiles – beginning with an apprenticeship in the Yorkshire silk mills at age 15 that cultivated a lifelong passion for cloth.

One of our earliest double cloth samples dates back to 2010, when Stuart wove a 100% cotton double cloth kikoi on our Ruti shuttle looms. According to our designer, Lenore, the ‘Plett Kikoi’ had been floating around for many years. “It was quite a simple double cloth – it didn’t have stripes in the front or back – but the weight was interesting, and that fed the inspiration.”

Lenore and Stu looking at early iterations of the Double Cloth

For our Double Cloth throw, the first tests were done on our antique Lancashire looms – playing with the construction to determine the best weight and weave construction.

“The warp construction for the double cloth is very time-consuming, so using the Lancashire is a much quicker set-up – making it easier for us to get an idea of the design. Once we were happy, we transferred it over to the dobby looms (our Dornier machines) to get the full width of the throw.

But product development inevitably involves iterations. And the Double Cloth was no exception.

“The first cloth off the loom was stiff, and didn’t have much volume. We’d first tried a plain weave – but once we switched over to a 2/2 twill, which has more floats, the cloth took on a lovely lofty feel. The 2/2 added a kind of dimension to the design, and this is what gives the throw an almost wool-like texture and warmth.”

“The lags were also an interesting part of the story. In the sampling process, we used lags for the pick plan. Much like the pattern card, the lags transfer the design scheme onto the loom. For the Double Cloth, the lag chain was over 4 metres long – the longest we’d ever created!”

Lag chain

Double Cloth sample on the Lancashire loom

Weaving on the Dornier loom

“The finished product came together beautifully. The magic of this throw is that you have double the amount of threads, so it has a really nice weight to it. And then of course it’s reversible – two distinct fabrics stitched together, giving you different designs on either side. So you can flip the blanket over, depending on the season – or your mood!

And the palette? Our designer of course must speak to that.

“We experimented with natural, earthy tones. The Karoo colourway is full of rusts, browns, oranges and grey. It speaks to that arid, yet strikingly beautiful landscape so distinct to this region. And then the Camdeboo – named after a nature reserve in the Eastern Cape where you’ll find the Valley of Desolation. There’s something about those mountains, which cast blue shadows in the early mornings and late afternoons – that’s what we captured in the Camdeboo.”

Karoo

Camdeboo

Read next: From Flax to Fibre | The Story of our Linen

Summer in Plettenberg Bay is renowned. A time of year that sees tens of thousands of locals and holidaymakers alike flock to the town’s pristine Blue Flag beaches to make the most of the sun and surf. But whilst many of us are enjoying the waters or working on our tans, there are those who are hard at work: the lifeguards. Over 60 of whom keep vigil over 13 beaches in the area, right from Nature’s Valley to the Robberg peninsula.

Above and beyond safeguarding our seas, the Lifeguard Programme supports a proactive skill development initiative in Plettenberg Bay. Training and upskilling youths from local communities with valuable skills that set them up for future success.

“We have about 15 kids who come through the programme each year. Some of these kids might take 2-3 years to pass through the necessary training – others a year. So on average that’s about 10 kids every year. A very small fraction of these kids come from affluent communities. They are predominantly from disadvantaged backgrounds,” says Lifeguard Instructor and Examiner, Chas Fraser.

The programme is rigorous, and requires a strong level of commitment. Not to mention peak physicality, strong aquatic skills, effective teamwork and open communication. Constant vigilance is key, as the guards must consistently monitor both the water conditions, and swimmer capability. Those who persevere are led through a comprehensive program of personal and professional development, acquiring skills that open up a world of career options.

“This profession has to have real working skills. You have to be on time, you can’t bunk work, you have to have a lot of discipline. We’ve seen these kids get jobs on cruise ships, in fire and rescue, become paramedics… It’s a stepping stone to earn income and to move onto other careers.”

In support of the programme, and as a gesture of appreciation for the boys and girls in red and yellow, over the last few years we’ve been weaving a special run of our Itawuli – a pure cotton towel that has been a signature of the Mungo range for close to a decade. Keeping the towel’s iconic geometric design, we’ve switched up the colours – an all-red towel with a yellow stripe to reflect the occasion.

“The Mungo towels were among the most cherished sponsorships we’ve received for the individual guards. They love them and have kept them warm, dry and protected from the wind. They are durable, attractive and practical and the squad would like me to thank you for this. External support of the programmes has become a cornerstone in its ability to carry on developing and keeping a highly professional labour force and to direct more funds to our highly successful, disadvantaged community development training. Lifesaving is the catalyst of the programme. But at the end of the day, the real life saving is saving these kids lives; giving them opportunities.”

Since the hand over, we’ve had many customers and beach-goers ask us where they can get their hands on one of these towels. Whilst this red and yellow beauty isn’t part of our current range, you can still shop one of our Itawuli colourways here. And if you spot one on the beach, we’d love to see – tag us at @mungodesign

Shop the In Range Mungo Itawuli

Blue Moon

Cango Grey

Emerald Green

The art of furoshiki is two fold… (or multi, depending on your knotting preferences). A centuries-old art of cloth wrapping, today furoshiki offers both a contemporary alternative to single-use wrapping, and a way to add that extra special touch to any gift.

Where it All Began

Originating in Japan, furoshiki dates back to the Nara period (710-794 CE). During this time, the cloth used to wrap an article was referred to as ‘tsutsumi’ (a term meaning ‘present’ or ‘package’). Tsutsumis, now commonly known as furoshiki, were used to bundle, protect and transport belongings. Food, gifts or other items were placed in the cloth, tied and neatly knotted. Today the technique has evolved into a popular practice around the world, offering a creative and contemporary way to bundle items, wrap groceries or even enhance a table setting.

From Bath Spread to Reusable Wrapping

The name ‘furoshiki’ was thought to have originated in the Muromachi period (1136 to 1573), and is a combination of the words ‘furo’ (bath) and ‘shiki’ (spread). Public bath houses were popular during the period, and in order to prevent their clothing or belongings from getting wet, or being confused with other bathhouse visitors, bathers would wrap their items in a furoshiki cloth. Family crests and monograms were often printed on the cloths to distinguish them from other bathgoers, making them easily recognisable when emerging from the steamy water.

A Sustainable Gift Wrapping Alternative

Instead of using disposable, single-use wrapping paper, opt for a cloth that can be used, repurposed and loved year upon year.

A Gift in itself

With furoshiki, the wrapping becomes part of the gift. Something beautiful and functional; keepsake rather than throwaway. Wrap up your gift in a Mungo kitchen cloth, hand towel or cotton kikoi and you’ll instantly add that extra special touch.

How To?

The art of furoshiki is surprisingly simple. Opt for a square or rectangular piece of cloth, place your item in the centre, and knot the ends. Tuck in any extra flaps to neaten, or slip in a gift card or flower for a finishing touch. No paper, tape or clumsy wrapping required!

Furoshiki with Mungo – our Favourite Wrapping Cloths

We’ll be returning to the UK for the 2025 Chelsea Flower Show!

Find us stand EAW435 from 20 – 24 May 2025, with our selection of quality natural fibre home textiles for bed, bath, kitchen and table – and enjoy a warm South African welcome.

I’m of the opinion that a city is best savoured slowly, from the street. And if possible, at night. Her finest views are unveiled when you’re standing beneath a building, looking up. Which is why most of my photos, on flipping through a 400+ scrapbook of London memories, the steely towers and the golden moonface of Big Ben, reveal themselves with looming angles.

And at night? Well, this is the time when the city is at its finest. Sparkling. Bejewelled with lights. The time when she drops her sleeve, bares a bit of shoulder. And best of all, quietened against the onslaught of tourists. Such in fact that my favourite memory of Venice, despite all its time-honoured canals and technicolour facades, is of a 90 minute ferry ride taken at night – and in err. A misjudged route carting me the wrong way around the island, transforming a 5 minute stop into 90 minutes of front-seated, star-strewn adventure. Ebbed by a spirited sense of c’est la vie, the wash of lights against darkened bridges and buildings, and the soft splash of street lamps on the water’s edge.

The other best way to enjoy a city is by foot. If time allows, avoid the London underground. It is, for a claustrophobic like me, a frightening place. Enjoyed once or twice for novelty, of course. But, if you can, walk. Have a street’s eye, first-person-perspective of the city. Its residential areas, its parks and cafes, its dog walkers and joggers and pram-yielding mothers. This gives you a real sense of it. Or else, take the Red Bus. Those are fun. And particularly satisfying post West End show, when you are buoyed by the power of story and song, but it is 11:30pm and you’d like to get home soon-ish, rather than take the long way round. Also not to be overlooked – a bike ride. A bike ride through Hyde Park, or across the Albert Bridge to work, is enough to fill you with a giddy sense of being alive. Book off the therapist for a week, I have reconnected with my inner child.

Oh, and don’t rush. If you don’t have to. As the cliché goes, enjoy the journey, not just the destination. Chances are the little coloured doors on your outbound amble might just be more memorable than the big gaudy gates of Buckingham Palace, where everyone is lining up for a selfie.

The next ones are particularly subjective. Always go into a book shop. And take the off-road when it comes to menu items. A good burger or pasta can be found almost anywhere. But a Taiwanese dessert – crushed ice topped high with taro and boba pearls and ivory coloured mochi cubes – is a rarer find when you live in a small Garden Route town. To this end I’m fond of telling people that the most delicious thing I’ve eaten (well, it’s up there) was a scorpion. Crispy, salty, a little oily – it could’ve given Lays a run for their money.

And the bookshops? Well here you can never go wrong. These are places to be protected at all costs. Havens for the imagination. Inclusive spaces offering worlds of wonder. And dreamscapes – if you find yourself imagining your own byline in a spotlighted shopfront.

The other subjective rule I have: always tip a busker. Music is food for the soul, and buskers fodder for the city. There is nothing like seeing someone’s creative passion laid bare – for our own scrutiny and entertainment – and this deserves the tip of the hat.

And then there are rules that apply for an international trade show. You need a balance of skills. Or a set of key ingredients, so to speak. Someone who knows their way around a drill. With a bit of muscle and a Pandora’s box of tools. Someone with a creative eye for putting together a stand. A sense for how to use a space effectively. And someone who is unafraid of strangers, with a sense for story. Maybe someone who has a sprinkling of a few foreign languages. At least this was how I justified earning my keep at the 2023 Chelsea Flower Show.

We started building our stand on May 17th. The four days that followed were a combination of the aforementioned ingredients: a bit of muscle, some steady sawing, some creative flair, and a fair amount of folding… Foreign languages need not apply here – except for, perhaps, trying to decipher an IKEA manual. (That being said, ‘you alright, mate?’ is a generous, all-encompassing British greeting that may help you to secure a ladder from a neighbouring stand).

Once the bones were set up, we played with ways to incorporate a floral element. As all Mungo textiles are woven with 100% natural fibres, it seemed fitting to include our fibres – so we (Dax) got to work rigging up a cotton installation, complemented by baskets of dried flax (the fibre from which linen originates). A few well-placed bunches of fresh flowers were added, attracting the occasional chubby bumblebee.

After 4 days of build, several cheese and pickle sandwiches (another prerequisite for a London visit), a bit of banter and several frighteningly expensive coffees later, we were done.

On Monday the show would begin.

The RHS Chelsea Flower show has come to be known as the greatest flower show on earth. Running since 1913, it amasses large crowds every year with its five-day event. Boasting some of the most inspiring and innovative gardens and floral displays.

2023’s show put emphasis on restorative gardening – spotlighting ways in which gardening can positively contribute to our personal health and wellness, as well as that of the natural environment. Alongside incredible exhibits of prize tulips, daffodils, roses, bonsais, succulents and more, there were 36 display gardens. Each of these was intricately designed, and thoughtfully symbolic – playing on themes of nostalgia, addressing needs of inclusivity and accessibility, and showcasing the power of green spaces to provide healing. There were gardens inspired by the importance of mental wellbeing, a working kitchen garden with a ‘plot-to-plate’ approach, a garden celebrating the Coronation of King Charles and another highlighting the humble but invaluable garden insect, to name a few.

A personal favourite, awarded gold at the show, was the ‘Biophilic Garden Otsu – Hanare’, designed by Kazuyuki Ishihara. Showcasing a traditional Japanese ‘hanare’ – a small outhouse considered a place of healing, this garden was inspired by a love of nature, pleasantly complemented by the soft sound of a waterfall.

Another was ocean photographer and designer, Zena Holloway‘s ‘Root Dress’ – a biodegradable wedding dress made entirely of wheatgrass. A design inspired by the plastic crisis in our oceans, and driven by a need to explore innovative and sustainable alternatives.

As the show unfolded, there were more learnings to be had.

Firstly, don’t underestimate how often you’ll hear Afrikaans. Or at least, a South African accent. In addition to sharing the story of Mungo and our mill to newcomers, it was heartening to connect with locals and expats, or to hear the occasional, ‘Wow, Mungo!’ from passersby. The amount of connections to Plettenberg Bay, home of our full operation, was quite astounding.

There was plenty more ‘South African-ness’ around the show, with Babylonstoren as the sponsors of the wine of Chelsea – and sister to the official sponsor, the Newt in Somerset. Not to mention, South Africa took home gold – awarded the winning Plant of the Year for the ‘Black Jack’ – a long-flowering purple Agapanthus bred by De Wet Plant Breeders in Hartbeespoort.

Some other ‘do’s for best enjoying a city (or a trade show) – wear comfortable shoes. This cannot be overstated. Do not buy a new pair of leather shoes the week before, keep them in the box so that they are ‘fresh and clean’ for the show, and then hobble around the stand ruing your idiocy. Here function proceeds form.

Do dress for the weather. And do not trust a Brit’s gauge of this. While temperatures may have soared over recent summers, an occasion to don a pair of shorts and a Panama hat was, still, ‘coat weather’ by South African standards. The sun may have been out, but the wind? Icy.

Speaking of summer hats. Read up on trends or feasible side hustles beforehand. Because…

On our back wall we had a display of three of our boldest and brightest flat weave towels. Each topped with a straw hat – a fitting nod to the onset of beachbound days. And oh did those hats draw a crowd. Countless showgoers would come onto our stand, don one of the hats, model it around to approving glances from their friends, only to be dismayed that they weren’t, unfortunately, for sale. Word on the street was that famous UK horticulturist and TV personality, Monty Don, had sported one such hat on a recent show – sparking a wave of interest and a surge in Google search terms. Lamentably, legend has it, said hat was later eaten by his dog. But interestingly enough was purchased in South Africa.

Another – do be inquisitive. Or at least, go in search of wine. Because a trip to the Babylonstoren stand led to an opportune encounter. After enquiring where the Kirstenbosch garden was (assuming there’d be some clued-up fellow Saffers there), I turned around to find myself in a sea of long lenses. ‘Good timing’, said the Babylonstoren trader, Kate is just about to arrive…

Despite the chill, and poor shoe choice, London in the spring is a pleasant time. Green, (sometimes) sunlit and overall ebbed by a cheery feel from the city goers, who seem revived by the promise of summer. Perhaps with an eye out for a quick-drying towel that makes the perfect travel companion for a trip to Spain or Greece…

In the end, when it’s all said and done, there’s perhaps one more moment of reflection to be had. Take in your last looks, savour the scenes; the brownstones you love so much, the river, the old oaks, the last lofty skyscraper. Forget about the R170 you spent on a bubble tea.

As you catch the plane home, exhausted but invigorated by all you have seen and done, remember this. How lucky you are. To be here. To see. To explore. To travel.

And to work at a place that’ll take you along for the (bike) ride.

There’s a distinctive change in the air this time of year; the quality of the light, that first nip of winter. It’s also one of Plett’s most beautiful times – when the sky is clear and crisp and calm – until the rains roll in. And as you drive down the N2, towards Old Nick Village, you’ll see the early morning light catch the sea. Glittering. And then the bow of the Mungo Mill. The telltale slatted structure that curves up, threadlike, towards the sky. It’s picturesque, yes. Naively pastoral, perhaps. But it’s also our home – and we are lucky to have it.

It’s a place that provides unending inspiration – a vital source of colour and texture, that fuels our creative compulsions. It’s also a reminder – looking out at that quiet sea, at the weaver bird’s moving between their nests around Old Nick, at the Coral tree that frames the entrance of the mill – of everything that’s at stake for the future. All that we need to protect.

As producers, we are of course contributing to the cycle of making. A cycle that pulls from a pool of resources, but which also fuels innovation and change and livelihoods. It’s a conundrum of which none of us can really escape. So we look for ways of doing things a little differently. And a little better. It’s why we pursued our GOTS certification. And why we hold true to our initial vision – on which Mungo was founded over 20 years ago: to create a product woven to last, not destined for landfill. Something of quality, of craftsmanship, of beauty. To be used. And to be treasured.

Step beyond the threshold of the mill, past that curving Coral tree and through the open glass doors, and you’ll hear a distinctive sound. A chorus of looms. First, the beat of the Lancashires, then the lower hum of the Dorniers. The metallic timbre of thousands of droppers, each holding a single thread in place – some of which have been tied on by hand. The shuttle of the Rutis has its own resonant beat, as it flies back and forth, carrying the pirn. But if you lean in, listen closely, you’ll hear it. As does the Saurer – on which the Caribbean Check is weaving. A soft cotton tablecloth, designed by Stu, our Master Weaver. The Saurer is the newest in our collection – a loom, like many others at the Mungo Mill, that has been refurbished and restored. Itself a testament to repurposing and refining. A concept from which we take our name.

It’s an orchestra. And there are several conductors. Nicolette, our weaving manager, who moves from machine to machine with a keen eye and deft hand. Caroline, running her hand over the droppers, an instinctive feel for the cloth. And here, passing beneath the large east-facing windows, our newest weaver, Donovan. Last week we watched him being trained by Ryno, at the helm of our Lancashire looms, weaving organic baby blankets. Today moving through the mill with greater confidence between the Rutis, weaving our pure linen Selvedge Serviettes. Then through the double volume building into the warping department, where thousands of threads are being lined up under the eye of Rodney or Gordon or Eugene. Up into the CMT, where Ginny, who’s been with us since we first opened our doors, is directing the flow of cutting and sewing and pressing. The whir of the needles, the hiss of the press – these too contributing to the swell of sound. Parts moving together at different paces but also in unity.

If you have a chance to walk among our looms, perhaps you’ll feel this too. That there are human hands at play, many steps involved, considered design and carefully selected threads. There are real people at the centre of it – dreams and livelihoods and visions of a better future.

This is the fabric of our life. Indeed it is a daily source of inspiration.
And perhaps, as you open, as you feel your Mungo product, you might intuit some of that too. The fibres, the hands, the craft, the care. Feel yourself a little more connected. To the threads that bind us all.