POLON "Ta Ndereia ka ta kai"
POLON (Kapok tree), a streetwear fashion label promoting Cape Verde Folklore.
Embodying the resilience and cyclical spirit of Polon, we aim to honor and promote Cape
Verdean culture and folklore, rediscovering and weaving ourselves to our roots, and in
this becoming pillars of resistance and creativity through fashion
This brand name is inspired by the largest and oldest tree in Cape Verde.
The 25 m-high kapok tree, Ceiba pentandra, that grows in the valley bottom, is the largest baobab of the country.
“When I was little, my grandmother “Mamai” told me stories about a tree that grew before the Cape Verde Islands were discovered.
She said that at the time of colonization, where our land was governed by the Portuguese, a couple of slaves went to live in the “Boa Entrada” area to work in the fields under the orders of the oppressors.
Over time, they discovered this tree in a valley and named it POLON. After a long day of hard work, polon served as a refuge for them at night, where they practiced rituals and connected spiritually with their ancestors.
As the world turns and time passes,the physical disappearance of this couple came.
Memories and a grand spiritual portal were kept inside in a tree trunk with firm and strong roots that has managed to remain standing to this day.”
The area of Boa Entrada is intensively used for agriculture and therefore very green in almost every time of the year.
You will find a lot of mango trees and sugar cane, but also banana, papaya, avocado and other tropical fruits.
The sugar cane is used to make the local beverage, “Grogu” (a sort of rum).