“India is not exactly a country, it’s a continent. More complex and diverse than all of Europe, with more languages – 780 at last count, not counting dialects – regional and sub-regional identities, indigenous tribes and religions.” Facing perils, Arundhati Roy
Each country has its own know-how and talent, a legacy of its history . Just as leather is to Italy, shoes to Portugal, and block printing is to India.
India is prints, a thousand colors, the smell of burnt spices, it is Kashmir, cotton and much more. As vast as the Indian territory is, each region is the ambassador of a unique know-how fueled by the cultural diversity of the country , a story that we wanted to inject into our new collection. And it is for this diversity, this palette of cultures, and above all the artisanal talent , that we have this season chosen to develop a new range of exceptional bags and kits in India .
To surprise, please and satisfy you, we took the time to choose the best workshop and find the best expertise. And it takes delicacy to create such beautiful things. To rediscover this finesse, we wisely chose the right country: heading to India.
For these new creations, we take you to the north of the country, to Rajasthan, where the ancestral know-how of block printing has been perpetuated for years in complete serenity. The true heyday of block printing dates back to the era of the Empire. Mughal (1526-1857), where the nobles valued the place of this exceptional know-how by becoming true patrons preserving and promoting this tradition from BC.
To achieve this, each design is first drawn on a sheet of paper, then reproduced and carved into a block of wood. Then dipped in ink, this wooden stamp is forcefully applied to a large, previously stretched fabric. After several washes and drying in the sun, the fabrics take on beautiful shades. Patience and creativity are the key words in this meticulous and delicate work.
At Mister K, as you already know, we prioritize ethics. We have selected a respectful and committed workshop, who shares our values and a certain taste for the preservation of a local cultural heritage and ancestral know-how. You will have understood, in your hands, it will not simply be a tote bag or an exceptional kit, it will be the union between our taste for beauty and Indian know-how.
So, with our desire for good work as our compass, we invite you to discover our new creations and to discover Indian creation techniques.
