Indian block printing is an ancient art and a traditional technique done by hand. It is one of India’s foremost crafts. Block prints are done by eye, and telltale signs of the human hand, even imperfections, are part of the ineffable humanity and beauty of the craft. Using a carved woodblock, natural dyes and traditional patterns, the artisans keep this craftsmanship alive in a day and age of mechanisation. This is what I’m into- this is why I keep going back to India. This is something that needs to be preserved…
Craft overall is under threat everywhere. “By hand” is too easy to duplicate “by machine”…the mixed with fast fashion and a desire to have a continuously revolving wardrobe has taken its toll and customers I feel are confused with the real cost of hand work, people’s time and the training they’ve built up to be able to create what they do. I just thought is would be nice to put out there that all we do is fair trade, with appreciation and respect. We are paying a fair price for the items we produce, which are done by hand. We really feel it’s best to have a few nice things that will last verses a ton of throw away items, worn a few times and then discarded. We operate in small quantities to maintain the uniqueness of our items and try to stay with one-size fits all so the garments work with a larger client range and promote less production. The world does have perhaps enough cotton….but that’s for another post.
We are really excited about the next collection of patterns we’ve created. They are soft with a little more subtle color. Stay tuned for more!
