Lotus & Silk Weaving ~ Inle Lake, Burma
Inle Lake is home to a unique micro-industry of textile weaving using fibers from lotus reeds. About 200 people from two villages work in this industry and produce a beautiful range of fabrics in lotus and silk blends. Not to be missed if you’re heading to Burma soon.
IKTT Reviving Cambodian Ikat
On the outskirts of Siem Reap nestled away in a tropical forest, the enlightened Institute of Khmer Traditional Textiles (IKTT) is working to restore and preserve Cambodia’s silk textile traditions. The Khmer Rouge all but obliterated the country’s artisans during the 1970s, including its weavers who produced silk ikat, one of the world’s most complex [...]
Anokhi Factory
The clothing retailer Anokhi is one of my favorite things about India. A trip to one of their shops brightens even the worst day in Delhi. Not only are their block printed clothes and other textiles beautifully designed and tailored, they actually run a socially and environmentally ethical business. Before leaving India I visited their [...]
Ajrakh Printing in Dhamadka
Another set of images from the archives! Dhamadka is one of two remaining places in Gujarat where traditional ajrakh block printing is still done. See the MAIWA website for how the cloth evolves from start-to-finish. It’s an extremely labor-intensive process and the results are gorgeous. The last image shown here was a test cloth, but I [...]
Sanganeri Block Printing
Just outside of Jaipur, the small town of Sanganer one of the largest block printing centers in Rajasthan and India. Each block printing center has its own traditional designs, and today Sanganer does both its traditional and new styles of work. The bus dropped me off along the main road in front of a small shop [...]
Rehwa Society
Roshanara Bi was unlikely to become one of the top weavers of Maheshwar. Born into a poor family from the Muslim area of town, at age 16 she was married off to a young man from a neighboring village. She bore a son but did not want to stay in the marriage, and after three [...]
