Anokhi in India.

Thinking seriously of future plans involving...

the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing in Jaipur.

Anokhi, a pioneer of hand block printing for the export market, is known for its success in preserving and revitalizing traditional Indian textile skills, and for its involvement with educational and social projects in Rajasthan, India.  

Each pattern starts with carving one to thirty print blocks out of teak and then applying the pattern with vegetable dye on the highest quality material, usually a sublime gauzy cotton. 

I have one stunning vintage Anokhi piece in my closet (I'm guessing mid 70's era, found at the Salvation Army in Philadelphia). Even though the skirt is almost entirely covered with color, you can see bits of the pure cotton in between. The construction is also meticulously done with side pockets, side buttons, French seams, and a delicate trim below the skirt yoke.