Embroiderers in northern Hungary help preserve a traditional folk art with centuries-old motifs and a message of greater diversity.
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00:00The embroidery on these articles of clothing dates back some 200 years.
00:09It comes from the Hungarian village of Tart.
00:13Róczi Váczi and her company employ 45 senior embroiderers.
00:17They preserve the Macsó embroidery tradition listed by UNESCO as an intangible world cultural heritage.
00:23In doing so, she's helping the community.
00:27Not only are they earning money with us, they get a sense that their work is needed,
00:33that they're important, and they're part of a community.
00:37Matyó Design embodies a whole attitude toward life.
00:41In Tart, we're one big family.
00:44In the latest episode of Small Projects, Big Changes, we're looking at Matyó Design.
00:50Róczi Váczi got the idea to integrate the embroideries she knew from her childhood into contemporary apparel.
00:58So how did she turn that into a win-win situation for both the craft and the community?
01:07Tart is a village in northern Hungary, close to the Slovakian border.
01:11For generations, the women of the region have embroidered the Matyó patterns,
01:15known primarily for their colorful rose motifs done in the satin stitch technique.
01:20It was listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2012.
01:24Matyó Design's mission is not only to keep this tradition alive, but also to support the local women.
01:36I can embroider at home too, but when we get together, it's a lot more fun.
01:41We talk, we share our skills, and we even solve everyday problems while we're embroidering.
01:49It brings me such joy whenever I see our garments and how beautiful they are.
01:55I'm happy that all this is sewn in Tart.
02:04I wouldn't wear this kind of traditional clothing to school, but I would wear a T-shirt.
02:08Then everybody can see our culture and designs.
02:10You can wear these pieces every day, like our grandmothers wore traditional outfits.
02:18The concept primarily involves transferring traditional patterns from the historical outfits and pillows,
02:24and applying them to today's fashion.
02:29However, since a Hungarian law in 2021 banned the topic of homosexuality in school lessons,
02:35and made access to literature with queer content more difficult,
02:38a heart in rainbow colors on T-shirts has become one of the best sellers at Matyó Design.
02:45Like a colorful exclamation mark for the LGBTQ movement in Hungary,
02:49embroidered by grandmothers in the countryside.
02:57In Hungary, there are many situations that greatly restrict our lives,
03:02attack our morals and our values.
03:08There came a point where I wanted to do something about this, through Matyó Design.
03:15I want to stand up for tolerance and openness, and ensure that we do not label others.
03:24The products are available online worldwide, but many regular customers live right here in the area, like Réka.
03:31She's sending a T-shirt with the rainbow design to her sister, who's recently become a mother.
03:36It's her way of taking a stand and calling for a more tolerant coexistence.
03:48I bought the T-shirt for my sister, I'm sure she'll like it, and it's important for us to sensitize people.
03:57This also affects the women who embroider these garments.
04:00Here in Tárd, and this entire region, we can't receive anything but state television,
04:05and it's constantly hammering into viewers what they're allegedly not allowed to do.
04:11I'm hoping that by making these rainbow T-shirts and talking about them,
04:14our embroiderers will gain a better understanding of diversity and become more open and tolerant.
04:23These days in Hungary, promoting tolerance and equality of the sexes is often taken as a provocation.
04:28At the same time, Roci is trying to minimize the environmental footprint of her company.
04:33All the processes are completed locally, the sewing, embroidering, ironing and packaging.
04:39And a photo of the embroiderer is placed in every single package.
04:43Handmade, not mass-produced.
04:49I get up every morning to do what I need to do.
04:54It almost sounds like a proverb.
04:57Doing something small, but dreaming big.