Silk-Cotton Kalamkari Dress

Botanical Silk-Cotton Kalamkari Dress for women, hand-painted with natural dyes, mordants, and resists by a women's cooperative in an intricate process that blends art with nature's chemistry. Named for its slim Nehru collar, the semi-fitted silhouette can be worn loose like a tunic or cinched with the included self-fabric sash for further shape. Full-length button-cuff sleeves, side seam pockets, and a curved hem with side slits fall just below the knees, crafted from a soft silk-cotton blend with a pleasing drape. Fitting for both everyday elegance and considered evening wear, this piece speaks to women's sustainable clothing at its most artful, and is perfect for sustainable clothing.  

Textile Story:  Kalam (meaning pen) kari (meaning craftsmanship) is an art form developed in Andhra Pradesh around the 13th century. Originally used to create religious paintings on cloth to aid the acts of wandering minstrels, later used in Hindu temples, it then flourished as an art-form under the Golconda Sultanate, the Moghuls & later under the British where it became known as chintz.

We’re enormously proud to partner with Dwaraka, a not-for-profit that trains & supports women artisans in Srikalahasthi to create the most beautiful kalamkari art work; using a kalam pen & exclusively natural mordants, dyes & resists, the artisan hand draws every every line across the surface of the cloth.

Any variations or irregularities are to be celebrated. They are part of the design & inherent to the handcrafted production process, making this item beautifully unique.

SIZE DETAILS

S/M: Length: 45" | Chest: 40" round | Hip: 43" round | Armhole: 20" round
M/L: Length: 46" | Chest: 43" round | Hip: 46" round | Armhole: 22" round