block prints

All of our collections incorporate traditional wood block prints from the Rajasthan State of North India. Dye patterns, stamped directly onto the fabric (silk or cotton) with hand carved teak blocks have been in use in North India for centuries, and have been admired in the West since the Renaissance.

By this traditional method, each color of the print requires a separate block. Each color pattern is stamped individually onto the fabric, which is then set out in the sun to dry. The process takes skill and time, as the pattern must be stamped repeatedly across the fabric, color by color. The slight human errors — inevitable in handwork — create the artistic effect emblematic of block prints.

These prints are often produced using vegetable dyes. The “recipes” for these have been preserved for many generations by the artisans’ families. Many of the dyes require months of curing for the desired color to develop. Weather, water quality, and changes in the crops, all affect the vegetable dye.

The final outcome of this intricate labor is a timeless beauty, and every garment made from this fabric is unique.