Now Online! - Maiwa's Slow Clothes

by - Wednesday, July 12, 2017


Slow clothes take time … every day in our store we have conversations with our customers: we introduce the artisans and explain who they are. We point out weave structures, natural dye techniques, and show the carved hardwood blocks used to hand print our fabric. Held between thumb and finger, the cloth transmits something very difficult to put into words — but easy to feel. 

We are optimists. So now, for the first time ever, we are offering a small collection of our clothing online. We’ve looked long and hard at production to ensure that what we sell can speak on its own. Its the best way to bring the artisan’s voice to you.






This Clothing Features Ikat

The patterning of an ikat is the result of resist dyeing the threads before weaving. If the final pattern has more than one colour, the threads will need to be retied for each colour. With weft ikat the weaver will make small adjustments with each throw of the shuttle to keep the pattern in alignment.


Ikat is a complicated process demanding much patience, considerable design skill,
and a good geometric imagination.

Ikats may be either warp ikat (the longer threads), weft ikat (the threads perpendicular to the warp), or double ikat (warp and weft). Ikat patterning ranges from simple star patterns to full figurative imagery done in many colours. Such ikats, especially when worked in silk, are among the most costly and prestigious of textiles.

Ikat weaving, with its highly distinctive patterning, is one of the ways that colour and motif comes to be associated with a particular area or culture. An ikat speaks of its origins in an eloquent and timeless voice.

Maiwa works with ikat craftspeople throughout India, encouraging a return to natural dyes, which firmly establishes ikat as a high-quality cloth. We also actively work to incorporate ikat into clothing and bedding to promote this exquisite combination of weaving and dyeing.





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