The Diamond Coat
A cream coat with charcoal diamonds on the sleeves, each with a red centre and a cream dot. Bobbles cover the shoulders and upper sleeves, and long locks fall down the sleeves and body.
€305
Available now
Warmth, woven.
In the filmThe Diamond Coat· €305
Coats, vests and wool slippers designed by GUNJA.WOOL, handmade from natural sheep wool by artisans from Yavoriv.
The collection
Tap a piece to see it up close, then send us a message about it.
Coats
Carmen
One design in four colours, with a shaggy, bobbled surface and a long fringe at the hem and cuffs. Red is available now; blue, cream and green are made to order. Other colours on request.
Colour
€285
Available now
Vests
Slippers
What is a гуня
гуняhunia
Say it HOO-nya.
A гуня (hunia) is a traditional Carpathian outer garment of natural sheep wool, made by hand with the old technique.
In its old form it was a knee-length garment with a long pile, thrown over the shoulders. Its cloth was homespun, coarse and usually undyed.
Long strands of wool were woven into the cloth with their ends left on the face. The outside turned shaggy, like a fleece, and the inside stayed dense and warm.
Traditional hunias came mostly in the natural colours of the wool. White and grey were usual, all-black ones much rarer. White was worn to church and to weddings, darker ones every day.
Our pieces are not copies of old hunias. Yanina designs them as modern clothes to wear today, and artisans from Yavoriv make each one by hand.
How it's made
A гуня (hunia) is made in ten steps, from the sheep to the last seam. Artisans from Yavoriv make our pieces by hand, and our woven cloth is fulled in a valylo in the village: step eight, where the cloth grows dense and its shaggy pile comes up.
01 By hand
стрижкаstryzhkaShearing
In spring or early summer the sheep are shorn with shears or clippers. The fleece is spread out and sorted by quality, length and colour, and the best is kept for yarn and cloth.
02 By hand
миттяmyttiaWashing
The wool is picked clean by hand, washed in water to lift the dirt and excess grease, then dried in the air. It is never rubbed hard, so it doesn't felt too soon.
03 By hand
розчісуванняrozchisuvanniaCombing
Combs or carders open the dry wool, part the fibres, take out what is left in them and lay them even, ready to spin.
04 By hand
прядінняpriadinniaSpinning
On a spindle or a spinning wheel, a thin strand is drawn from the wool and twisted into yarn strong enough for the loom and, later, the valylo.
05 By hand
фарбуванняfarbuvanniaDyeing
When a piece calls for colour, the yarn is dyed with natural or chemical dyes, then rinsed, dried and made ready for the hand loom.
06 By hand
основаosnovaPreparing the warp
The yarn is wound and the cloth is planned: its density, the thickness of the yarn, the size of the piece. The warp is stretched on the loom, and the weaver already decides how the surface will look after fulling.
07 By hand
тканняtkanniaWeaving
Row by row, the weft is laid through the warp by hand, and each row is beaten in with the reed (бердо, berdo). Then the cloth comes off the loom, ready for the water.
08 By water
валилоvalyloFulling in the valylo
Our woven cloth is fulled in a valylo in Yavoriv: a wooden vat on a mountain river, where the current alone works the wool. No hammers, only water.
How the valylo works
09 After the water
сушінняsushinniaRinsing and drying
The cloth is rinsed if it needs it, pressed out gently so it keeps its shape, laid straight and dried in the open air, away from strong heat. As it dries, the wool settles and its texture shows.
10 After the water
пошиттяposhyttiaSewing and finishing
The dry cloth is cut and sewn into shape. The edges and seams are finished, overlong fibres are trimmed where needed so the pile stays shaggy but even, and the piece is checked once more before it's ready to wear.
By water
Step 08 · In detail
Fulled by a mountain river
For 4–12 hours the water turns the cloth over and over. The fibres lock together, the gaps between the threads narrow, and the cloth grows thick, dense and warm.
In some гуні, longer wool fibres are kept on the surface, and that is what makes them shaggy, almost like fur.
- Where
- Yavoriv, on a mountain river
- What does the work
- The current alone
- How long
- 4–12 hours
- What it gives
- Thick, warm cloth with a shaggy pile
- In Yavoriv
- About a hundred craftswomen and four working valylaCount by the National Historical Library of Ukraine (2025)
The valylo (валило) is the vat itself; fulling (валяння, valiannia) is what happens in it.
Only our woven pieces are fulled in the valylo. The slippers are not.
Who makes GUNJA.WOOL
My name is Yanina. GUNJA.WOOL is my brand, and I design every piece.
Each one is handmade by artisans from Yavoriv. They work with natural sheep wool, keep to the traditional technique, and bring the warmth and beauty of their craft into every piece.
It's a great honour for me to bring our гуні (hunias) to the Netherlands and to share this unique part of Ukrainian culture.
Each woven GUNJA.WOOL piece goes through several stages of handwork, from preparing the natural sheep wool to making and finishing the garment. One of the most important is traditional fulling in a валило (valylo) in the village of Yavoriv.
A valylo is a special structure on a mountain river, where the strong current moves and compacts the wool naturally for 4–12 hours. The water and the friction make the fibres lock together, so the cloth becomes dense, strong and soft, and holds warmth well. This age-old way of working wool keeps the craft tradition of Yavoriv alive, and gives each piece fulled this way a little of the history, skill and warmth of the Ukrainian Carpathians.
Care
This is our own advice, not a technical standard. If in doubt, write to us before you clean your piece.
Our care advice
- Air it after wearing, and don't wash it unless it needs it.
- Dust: shake it out gently or brush it softly.
- Stains: dab them carefully with cool water; don't rub.
- Don't machine-wash, wring or soak it.
- Let it dry naturally, away from radiators and the sun.
- Store it on a wide hanger in a dry place, ideally in a fabric cover.
- Before storing it for a long time, check it for moths.
How to order
- Across EuropeWith the delivery service you prefer. We confirm the cost with your order.
- Available now, or 7–10 days“Available now” pieces are ready to send. Coats and vests made to order take 7–10 days.
- Returns within 14 daysIf it's unworn. Not for pieces made individually to order.All conditions
- Nothing paid on this siteWe agree the details with you first, then send you the payment options.
Questions
What sizes do you make?
XS to XXL, or made to your own measurements. Wool slippers: sizes 36–41. Not sure which size? Write to us and we'll help you choose.
How long does it take to get a piece?
Pieces marked “Available now” are ready to send as shown. For coats and vests, another size, your own measurements or a made-to-order colour takes 7–10 days, depending on how complex the work is. For wool slippers, ask which pairs are in stock.
Do you ship to my country?
We ship across Europe with whichever delivery service suits you, and confirm the cost with your order. Outside Europe? Ask us.
Can I return or exchange a piece?
Yes, within 14 days of receiving it, if it's unworn. Pieces made individually to order can't be returned or exchanged, unless the law provides otherwise. The full conditions are under “Returns and exchanges” below.
How do I pay?
Nothing is paid on this site. Once we've agreed the details, we send you the payment options.
How do I look after it?
Our advice is in the Care section above. If in doubt, write to us before you clean it.
Returns and exchanges
- You can return or exchange a piece within 14 days of receiving it.
- It must be unworn, with no signs of use or damage, and with its labels and packaging.
- To arrange a return or exchange, send us a private message.
- If the piece has no defect, you pay for the return shipping.
- Once we have received and checked it, we refund you or send the exchange.
- Pieces made individually to order can't be returned or exchanged, unless the law provides otherwise.