The Story
Searching the universe for aesthetic splendor, Mr. Merz travels the far corners of the earth. Enduring monsoons, snake-infested territories, and bouts of funny tummy, he attempts to find treasures with a cultural heritage. Mr. Merz is not about mass production, but rather the preservation of arts threatened by the greedier side of globalization. Join him on an adventure to discover as well as uphold items of history and integrity.
Turkey
On his most recent adventure, Mr. Merz traveled to Turkey. The bridge between Asia and Europe, Turkey represents one foot in the future and one foot in the past. Globalization has shifted the famed Turkish hand woven textiles to factory machines or Chinese Production–resulting in an inorganic, cheap, and poor quality fabric. After two trips and a year of planning, Mr. Merz discovered a means to connect with the last hand weaving families of Turkey.
After learning the rules of the bazaar, sourcing the products, and learning to understand weaving and hand weavers, Mr. Merz is pleased to bring home the pestamel. Originally a towel used in the Turkish Hamams/bathhouses–these textiles function in the realms of beach, yoga, sport, wearable, and home. With Gaziantep grown G.O.T.S (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified cotton, natural dyes, and the knowledgeable hands of the southern and southeast Turkish master weavers Ahmet, Izmet, Murat, Meta, Fuat, and Aziz, Mr. Merz helps bring back a sustainable and eco friendly craft that provides function, form, and years of endurance.
Contact
info@mrmerz.com >>> 949 290 8414
Turkish Textile Care
Breaking in the Cotton
Cotton in its natural state is not absorbent. Factories, as a result of greed, have chemically treated the cotton to avoid the necessary break in time–hence these machine made towels last only a short period, become crunchy, and eventually smell dank. With Mr. Merz's textiles, an initial one time soaking in cold water allows the cotton to blossom, creating not only a more absorbent towel, but a softer one as well. With proper care, a textile from Mr. Merz can endure 20+ years of rigorous use.
Flatwoven Textiles
Soak in water for 12 hours and hang to drip dry. Make sure the textile has been entirely submerged and massage the water into the fibers.
Looped Textiles
Soak in water for 24 hours and hang to drip dry. Make sure the textile has been entirely submerged and massage the water into the fibers.
Everyday Care
After breaking in your cotton, everyday care is simple. Washing machine friendly at 80°-100° F with laundry detergent. Never use fabric softener or bleach. Cool to medium dryer. Do not over dry cotton.
*Remember that nature has limited resources, please use water sparingly.