Interpreting India's Beauty Into Knit

(A 19th Century Coverlet from Andhra Pradesh.)


(Our Shadow Blossom Skirt and Gilded Lily Kimono were inspired by the antique textile shown above.)

Beautiful textiles and crafts, vibrant religious festivals and a sensorial cuisine, Andhra Pradesh (situated on the south plateau of one of the oldest geological formations in India) offers some of the most indelible impressions of southern Asia.  Such rich cultural gifts cannot help but inspire and such was the case when one of our designers found an antique textile from that region. 

Our Shadow Blossom Skirt and Gilded Lily Kimono both share an ornamental array of botanical vines, flowers and peacocks as well as a striking star-floral medallion borrowed from the original textile.

Experience India's lush beauty and culture for yourself with these stunning jacquard knit interpretations. 

Shibori: The Ancient Art of Resist Dyeing

Shibori is the Japanese word for a variety of ways of embellishing textiles by shaping and securing cloth before dyeing.  Rather than treating the cloth as a two-dimensional surface, with shibori it is given a three-dimensional form by folding, crumpling, stitching, plucking and twisting.  Cloth shaped by these methods are secured in a number of ways but most often they are twisted and bound. Incorrectly labeled as "tie-dyeing" by most, the shibori method is uniquely ancient (A.D. 749) and immensely varied in its techniques.

The special characteristic of shibori resist is a soft- or blurry-edged pattern.  With shibori the dyer must work in concert with the materials rather than forcing his/her own will upon the process because the end result is unpredictable and full of surprises.

Our designers have used the ancient art of shibori resist-dyeing as inspiration for years.  If you would like to celebrate this ancient art form, you can find the spontaneous patterns of shibori reflected in these designs:

Shibori Tank Dress
Optique Skirt
Shibori Sash Dress (Sale!)

Design Inspiration: A Phoenix Rises to Nobility

In the late 14th century of the Ming Dynasty, the use of woven or embroidered insignia badges were worn at the chest and back of robes to indicate rank in social and military circles.  The mandated system specified a particular bird or animal for each of the nine ranks.

In the above Ming-dynasty badge of silk and gold threads, we see a pair of phoenixes.  The phoenix was associated with the empress, just as the dragon was the symbol of the emperor.  Here, the paired phoenixes identify the owner of this insignia as an imperial lady or high-ranking noble woman. 

As you look more closely you will find more symbolic references.  The long-tailed pair focus on each other with intense energy, their curving forms spiraling that energy inward toward the center of the badge.  The perched male bird sits on a rock over waves, an abbreviated reference to the deep sea / cosmic mountain motif.  Lingzhi mushrooms of immortality grow near the rocks.  He turns his head towards his mate, who hovers above in a cloud-filled sky.  (It was unusual to have a female figure higher than a male during this time.)  Three large peonies in full bloom, emblems of female beauty, separate the pair and complete the imagery. 

This single museum piece was the inspiration for three of our designs.  If you would like to empower the same female energy as our imperial lady then you can wear her insignia here:

Due East Skirt
Chinaberry Tank Dress
Phoenix Kimono

The Resurrection of a Chancay Warrior

The Chancay people inhabited the Chancay and Chillón valleys on the central coast of Peru circa AD 1000 - 1476. They are best known for their textiles and fortunately thousands of Chancay textiles survive in museums around the world. This is in part due to a good environment for preservation on the Peruvian coast, but is also probably the result of extensive production. The Chancay are often compared with the more widely known and intensively studied Chimu culture of the North Coast. The Chancay and Chimu were often in conflict with each other because they shared a common border. However, because of this, they share many similarities in their textiles. Both kingdoms were conquered and incorporated into the Inca Empire in the mid to late 13th century AD.

Our Chancay Warrior T-Shirt is hand embroidered to replicate an original textile depicting a warrior deity preparing for battle.  Notice he is surrounded by fish and as a coastal people the Chancay used fish not only as a food source but also as a ritual ingredient and even the fish bones were utilized as part of their weaponry. 

Tap into your warrior spirit with these Chancay inspired designs:

• Chancay Warrior T-Shirt
• Chancay Frieze Dress
• Chancay Bird Belt
• Chancay Bas-Relief Crew

African Mud Cloth

As you may have already surmised, Annie is an enthusiastic and learned collector of textiles from around the world. Her passion for these windows on culture is contagious and so it is not surprising to find our design team pulling inspiration from textiles from around the globe. Such is the case with our Grand Bazaar Cardigan (pictured above).

The name was chosen to reflect the rich spicy hues present within Istanbul's largest market. However, the motif design itself is from an African mud cloth pattern. Bogolanfini, which translates as "mud cloth", is a long established tradition that originated in central Mali. Hand-dyed mud cloth uses a centuries old process with numerous applications of various plant teas and mud to dye hand woven cotton cloth. Each piece tells a story and no two are alike. The symbols, arrangements and color reveal secrets to the trained eye. The designs also define a person's social status, character or occupation. Mud cloth is an expression of Malian national identity and a symbol of belonging within the African Culture.

The Smithsonian Institution has created a fabulous site where you can create your own viritual Bogolanfini mud cloth. Enjoy!