Beate Kiehn

I came to Corsica as a social anthropologist and then worked as a shepherdess for years.

I felt the pity of throwing away the beautiful wool and started to make it into felt.

During my ethnographic research, I discovered the "baretta misgia", a kind of felt hat and, above all, a traditional headgear of the Corsicans from the 15th to the 19th century, which then fell into oblivion.

I had the idea of reviving this strong identity mark and bringing the traditional "baretta misgia" back into fashion; I then decided to make it an everyday clothing accessory.

My passion for manual work and my love for wool, which goes back to my earliest childhood, quickly led me to expand my creations: hats, mittens, slippers, bags, plaids, rugs etc.... initially only made of felt, which were then joined by fabric creations. And I will continue to come up with new ideas.

The basic material of my work is pure sheep's wool, in its natural shades or in vegetable dyes.

All my creations are unique and I make them exclusively by hand in my workshop. I execute every detail with care to ensure their solidity and longevity.

Since 2009, my products have been available under the name "Création BoBa" (for Baretta oghje Baretta antiqua).

 

Why do I love felt?

       Apart from being beautiful and pleasant to the touch ...

·        - it is solid, resistant and very low in dirt,
·        - insulates against cold and heat,
·        - protects against moisture,
·        - absorbs sound and vibration,
·        - is stretchy and won't wrinkle..,
·        - and is fire resistant, even when exposed directly.