Ever discovered a brand that makes you feel like you’ve travelled and found it, a million miles away?

That’s the feeling Thirteen Months gives. With stunning homeware created in Ethiopia, here you’ll find pieces that add character to your home. Just as if you’d spotted it at a flea market on your travels, and knew would forever evoke special memories.

If that’s not enough to love, how about learning that the brand is the creation of three sisters – Leah, Simone and Sophia – all of Ethiopian descent, and South London raised? Here, the trio share more:

What was the inspiration behind the brand?

“Our mission is to celebrate a part of our Ethiopian heritage and bring the traditional Ethiopian craft of weaving, to the modern home in bold, beautiful colours.

Thirteen Months designs beautiful throws, cushion covers, rugs, and table linen, and we’re soon to expand our catalogues to many more products. Our weavers experience nothing less than fair wages, training on their craft and education for their children.”

And how about the name?

“Ethiopia, known for its thirteen months of sunshine is also known as the Motherland, where humankind originated. Ethiopia is exploding with culture: home to ‘Ethio-jazz’ and Rastafarianism. We’re proud to say that its flavourful staple food is now considered a superfood around the world! In addition, Ethiopian coffee is a forceful export market, and Ethiopian craftsmanship is at the heart of everyday life.”

What are some of the key steps behind creating a piece, such as the Ethiopian rug, to make it traditionally Ethiopian?

Handmade in Ethiopia, our pieces inspired by traditional Ethiopian designs and patterns, such as the 'tibeb' patterned borders
Grown in various Ethiopian regions including Gambela, Afar and Gondar – and sourced from local farmers – the raw cotton is then converted into yarn
Next is the warp yarn sizing, which involves adding a protective coating to the yarn ahead of weaving. Following this is the pirn winding and warping ready for the sample product to be made. Once the sample is approved, the weaving begins
Each product is hand-woven using traditional wooden looms; this requires a high level of expertise. The process takes an immense amount of skill and patience with each piece taking days to complete.

5. Many of our pieces include a fringed edge design; this fringing is completed by hand-twisting the cotton at the product's edge. Once the design is complete, the last steps include washing, natural drying and ironing. Finally, quality checks are made to ensure each piece is completed to a high standard, before being shipped across the world to our customers’ doorsteps.

In keeping with our sustainability ethos, we also upcycle surplus materials to create brand-new, bespoke pieces such as our rugs and the bags that our products are packaged in.

What are your hopes for Thirteen Months?

We want Thirteen Months to open up a world of Ethiopian tradition and beauty to people across the globe. Ethiopia does not mean poverty and corruption. Ethiopia means world heritage sites, beautiful people, delicious food, incredible music, and cultural wonders. We want our conscious consumers to be able to access exquisite, hand-crafted products to create imaginative, luxurious living spaces.