artisan craft is at the heart of all we do

It’s important to us that we all continue to enjoy the beautiful works of art that artisans all over the world create. The pace and profit-margins of the fast fashion industry challenge the viability of their existence. We’ve built our collections, supply chain and business models all around the core tenant of respecting their craft with fair wage and collaboration. 

Our Partners

The majority of our prints and dye techniques are developed in collaboration with Nitesh and Sunita Chippa and their family-run organization just outside of Jaipur, India. 

Our collaboration began 3 years ago and it was in the fields of their indigo dyeing studio that the first seeds of indi were planted. It is these same fields that nourish the line as we continue to grow. Our days in the field are spent tying fabric for Shibori dyeing with Sunita, exploring new dye and print techniques with Nitesh, and planning (and planting) the future of indi. 

featured artisan techniques from our collections

Mud-Resist Dying

A mixture of local mud, jagri, and limestone is used in this resist-dye technique. The mud is printed with woodblocks onto white or pre-dyed fabric, and sawdust is applied as a binding agent. Our fabric is then dyed in indigo and rinsed. The mud protects the fabric from absorbing the dye and the print shines through in relief.

Hand Embroidery

Inspired by global traditions, our embroidery is either hand done using centuries old techniques, allowing for unique textures and irregularities that show the hands behind the garment. All of the embroideries on our garments are created on a frame or by treadle, a challenging process where a highly skilled artisan uses a traditional sewing machine to directly embroider the fabric.
 

Shibori

Shibori, traditionally known as a Japanese technique, is the art of manipulating fabric by tying, stitching, knotting or clamping and then dyeing to create beautiful patterns. It has a rich history all over the world—a wonderful example of the beauty that can come from cultures sharing traditions.

Weaving

As we move forward we are exploring the use of hand woven fabrics. We have begun working with khadi cloth for many of our solids and soon our indigo denim as well. khadi is hand spun, hand woven cloth, usually in cotton, but also in silk. The fibers are spun into yarn on a spinning wheel called a charkha, and the yarns are then spun into solid or patterned fabrics on a loom.