Our Philosophy
In a world dominated by fast fashion, we distinguish ourselves by embracing the idea of slow, purposeful creation. Everything we do arises from a deep appreciation for traditional handicraft techniques like block printing, embroidery, tie-and-dye, hand loom weaving, and more. Our goal is to reinterpret these classic techniques into contemporary forms, while at the same time recognizing the high level of skill, talent, and creativity the artisans use in creating these items.
The Craft Techniques We Use
Hand Block Printing
The process of hand block printing involves two groups of skilled artisans: one for carving wooden blocks and another for printing the blocks. Wood workers use small chisels and hammers to create intricate designs on the blocks. Next, printers pin fabric to a table, dip the carved block into pigment, and stamp the block onto the fabric. They then repeat the process with a different block and pigment. One, two, or even five different blocks could be used in a single print, creating a detailed and colorful design. Any imperfections, such as misaligned blocks, uneven coloring, or overlapping marks, are not defects but rather proof that the design was created by hand.
Hand Beading
This needlework craft uses hand blown glass beads that come in an array of rich pigments, ranging from translucent to opaque. To begin, a base fabric is stretched across a wooden frame and the chosen design is carefully traced onto the fabric.The artisan then threads three or more beads onto a long craft needle and embroiders them onto the fabric. The artisan starts with the foreground motifs and embroiders the background beads last.
Hand Painting
Kashmir has been renowned as a center for hand-painting since the 15th century. This art form was brought from Persia and popularized during the Mughal period. The fine brush used for painting is made of pashmina goat hair, which allows the artist to create detailed designs. The paintings typically depict local flora and fauna, such as pomegranate, cypress, narcissus, iris, lotus, and hyacinth, as well as kingfisher and bulbul birds. These miniature paintings can be found on a variety of surfaces, including molded paper mache, cloth, stone, wood, and metal.