TEXTILES

BLOCK PRINTS

Block Printing technique dates back as far as the 3rd Century in Rajesthan, India. To this day, artists known as Chippas continue to produce the work in the same desert state in a town called Bagru.

The process begins with the design being drawn and stencilled and then carved onto wood. Layers of ink (often made from natural dyes such as Turmeric and Indigo) are printed onto organic cotton. The craft is a world heritage protected medium, awarded for cultural heritage preservation by UNESCO in 2020.

I am proud to support this beautiful tradition, each textile vibrates with life and almost has a consciousness. It transforms itself into a living textile through generations of families who have passed the craft on to daughters and sons. I aim to bring the textile it into a new era, with clothing designs that hold contemporary shapes and bring narrative to your day.

In 2021 I commissioned artists to produce their own prints onto a thicker stronger Organic Cotton which could be turned into Dungrees, Dresses, Trousers and Shorts. I had 100 meters of 8 prints created from scratch, from technical wood carving, hand printing, dying and stitching. The processes are complex and the garments are uniquely created for a small batch that feel special and bespoke. I am so lucky to have a fabulous contact who works directly with the artists and kindly offered to give me a smaller order than the industry usually demands, we are so blessed!? You can find the range for sale over April and Pre orders are also welcomed via Instagram chat or email. 

 RECYCLED SARIS

We use recycled vintage sari fabrics to create one off wonders. These textiles are divine pieces of history that just have to be reworked! No longer seen as 'fashionable' in India, one women's trash is another's treasure! The Indian women sell back used and unwanted saris to a collector who then bundles them and sells them on to people like us! India being the largest population on the planet has many styles and tastes and I am always so intrigued and excited to discover new prints and incredible colour pallets that only India could create so magnificently. Recycled saris have become very hard to source in Northern India, with bundles now coming from Chenni in the south. Sometimes the fabrics are silk! sometimes a silk blend and also soft synthetics too (great for vegans) While mostly the fabrics are of a good grading occasionally there will be some B or C grades which may contain small plucks or tiny holes, these are cheaper that the A grades. I love to use these for Kimonos, Bombers and Reversible Sari Jackets we make gift bags with scraps too!