Postcards from India Print

I drew this print like a stack of postcards from India: stamps, postmarks and the jali lattice screens of the Taj Mahal, the carved marble that filters light into pattern. It is printed on rayon with silver lurex, so the parchment and faded indigo catch the light the way the Taj's marble does at dusk.

The three pieces

The Jaali Maxi Dress carries the print full-length with a V neckline and an easy flow. The Mehtab Midi has a V-neck twist knot and flared bell sleeves; a mehtab is a garden built for moonlight, a Mughal tradition of designing spaces for the quality of light after dark, which is exactly what the silver lurex does in this fabric. The Jali Top brings the same print into everyday clothes with long sleeves and a bohemian ease.

Where to wear it

This is the quietest print I make and the one that travels furthest. The greys and faded indigo mean it works in a city as easily as on holiday — gallery openings, dinners, winter weddings, the kind of evening where you want texture rather than colour. The top is the piece that earns its keep: it goes with white trousers, with denim, with almost anything already in your wardrobe.

Fabric and care

Rayon drapes better than almost anything I can put at this price, which is why the Jaali falls close to the body instead of standing away from it. The silver lurex is a metallic thread woven into the cloth, not a print or a coating on top of it, so it cannot flake or rub off — the shine is part of the fabric and it stays there. Treat it gently all the same. Hand wash in cold water with a mild detergent, or dry clean, and hang dry rather than tumble. Press on the reverse at a low setting, because direct heat will dull a metallic thread.

Made in a limited run

Printed in small batches with artisans in India. Once a run sells out it is not repeated. Sizes XS to 3XL, with made-to-measure available on every piece.