[ GIVEAWAY ] Win An Ajrakh Block Printed Scarf by Kahani

If you've already read yesterday's interview with Kahani founder Lisanne, you'll know that the label's handcrafted, luxury scarves and shawls are created using age-old techniques, on the highest quality fabrics, by highly skilled, indigenous artisans in Kutch, India. Each and every item in the Kahani store possesses an appeal of timeless quality that can be worn with the knowledge that the craftsmen who created it were paid a fair wage and worked under ethical conditions. I'd say that's pretty awesome, wouldn't you?

So to spread some of this awesomeness around, Wandering Threads has partnered with Kahani to give you the chance to win your very own Tussar silk Ajrakh block printed scarf, worth $85!

This particular scarf (as pictured above and below) is created using a form of traditional hand block printing and resist dyeing done using natural pigments. It's a laborious process that requires several stages of preparation, printing, drying, dyeing, re-printing, re-dyeing, washing and so on. In fact, a traditional Ajrakh cloth can take up to three weeks for the desired colour and pattern to be achieved!

If you'd like to be in with a chance of winning this beautiful scarf, and owning your own artisanal creation, simply follow the instructions below. The contest is open to entrants from around the world, so go on, enter now!

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3 WAYS TO ENTER:

1. 'Like' Kahani & Wandering Threads on Facebook

 2. Pin your favourite 5 Kahani items on Pinterest

3.  Share Kahani on your own blog.

then...

Comment on this post, mentioning

how you have entered, providing links if necessary. 

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For a limited time only, the very generous people at Kahani are also offering 15 % off all items, store wide, from the 11th -30th July 2012. Just enter 'WANDERINGTHREADS' at checkout to get your discount!

Contest runs from 11.07.2012 to 30.07.2012. Winner will be picked at random by Kahani and notified through the method they have entered (Facebook/blog/Pinterest.

[ STORIES IN THE MAKING ] Handcrafted Fashion By Kahani

From the far corners of India to the expanse of the world wide web, newly launched online label Kahani marries the contemporary with the traditional with their opulent line of dazzling shawls, scarves, totes, jewellery and kaftans, all handcrafted by artisans in the Kutch region of Gujarat.  An advocate of ethical production, fair trade and the promotion of indigenous craftwork, Kahani’s founder, New York based Art Director and Designer, Lisanne Gagnon hopes that the products will capture your imagination and instil a desire for the beauty of the handmade in a world of mass consumerism and throwaway fashion. I’m a big fan of intertwining good causes with fabulous products, so I couldn’t have stumbled upon a more apt label to rave about on Wandering Threads. Thus, in awe of all things Kahani I probed Lisanne on how the label came to be:

1. Kahani means “story,” and the spirit of the label bares emphasis on the journey, as well as arriving at a beautiful end product. Can you tell us a little bit about your own story and how Kahani came to be?

In 2010, on my first-ever journey to India, I travelled to a desert district in Western India called Kutch where I witnessed first-hand the creation of a vast range of handicrafts by local artisans of all ages who belonged to a variety of ethnic tribes. Upon returning to New York, I realized how inspiring this experience was and immediately knew I had to return someday and explore further. What transpired through this “return” was essentially the merging of two desires: to work with artisans to create a line of beautiful, handcrafted garments and fashion accessories, and to commit to doing so in ethical and sustainable ways. My efforts began this past winter and by spring I launched Kahani.

2. The promotion of ethnic, indigenous and traditional craftsmanship is evidently something you are very passionate about. When did you first realise your interest in this?

I’ve always been intrigued by the concept of 'preserving artisan traditions', ones that survive millennia and are passed down through generations. During my initial trip, I began to understand my fascination was inextricably tied to my passion for traditional culture and ethnic style. Spending time with knowledgeable artisans really opened my eyes to the process and the history behind the craftwork. I realized instinctively that Kahani should be committed to the promotion and preservation of these age-old traditions that, quite honestly, may easily vanish in a fast-changing and globalized economy.

Click the link below to keep reading this interview and don't forget to
check back tomorrow for details of an exciting

KAHANI GIVEAWAY !!! 

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[ NEO AFRICAN J-PEG GENERATION ] LaLesso SS'2012

I've been a LaLesso obsessive since my days trawling through ethical shopping sites looking for chic, sustainable style at Sublime Magazine, when I first discovered Lalesso's beautiful collections of floaty, yet fashion forward, Kenyan inspired beachwear. Ethical ethnic - my kind of label.

After falling in love with the vivid hues and eye-popping prints of the traditional Kanga fabric of Kenya, designers Alice Heusser and Olivia Kennaway founded Lalesso back in 2007 as a fashion forward ethical brand that not only produces perfect summertime threads but enrolls the help of some of Kenya's poorest, yet undisputedly able artisans and craftspeople. 

Recruiting beach boys and Masai tribesmen to hand carve beads and buttons from coconut shells, 5 years on and they're still up to the same tricks, but this year they're turning fashions heads with a neo-Afrian chic.

The SS'2012 collection, aptly titled 'The Neo African JPEG Generation' works in the usual bold Kanga inspired digital prints and warming brights into its capsule collection of effortlessly worn shrugs, kaftans, hot pants and maxi dresses, all with a dose of fluorescent detailing. And to top things off, this season the Lalesso girls have teamed up with jewellery designer Jennifer Kinnear whose collaborative collection, designed specially for Lalesso, combines recycled brass, bone, horn, wood, fabric offcuts and of course, that essential dose of neon.

Click below to watch a behind the scenes interview with the designers from their SS'2012 lookbook shoot outside Cape Town.



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[ HEMP PIXIES ] Patan, Nepal

Aren't these the cutest little shoes?! I found a bunch of these traditional, handmade Nepali hemp slip-on's being sold around the craft laden streets of Patan on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Like little pixie shoes, they'd be great for wandering around these dusty old UNESCO heritage streets, not so great in the rainy season though! If you're a fan of hemp or want to know more about its sustainable properties you should check out my earlier post from Pokhara (hint hint!).

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[ HAPPY HEMP ] Pokhara, Nepal

Yet another of my Lakeside finds, today's post comes from a foray into a particularly hippy looking hemp clothing specialist. My wandering style hunter's eye was instantly drawn by the outer displays of raw, laddered knit dresses, loose, oversized crochet jumpers and rough-dyed tee's - the perfect type of clothing to boost that effortlessly cool (yet evidently considered) boho-traveler wardrobe. Sourced locally, as industrial cultivation of hemp is illegal in Nepal, the hemp fibre comes from a homegrown source of naturally occurring cannabis sativa plant. Durable and strong, the plant grows densely and quickly in poor soil and harsh conditions of the western mountainous regions of Nepal, resulting in a more quantitative yield without the need for chemicals. That should put some smiles on the faces of ethical fashion fans!

Naturally, everyone seems to associate hemp with old tree hugging hippies but if your on the pulse of the ever expanding sustainable fashion scene, you will by now be well informed of the multiple benefits of alternative fabrics such as hemp (even Bottega Veneta are cashing in on its .....!). Not only is hemp both ethically and environmentally sustainable, its also bacteria resistant and far more water absorbent than other fabrics meaning it not only keeps you cool, holds its shape and is wrinkle free, but also retains dye colours and actually gets softer the more you wear it!

If you're looking to jump on the hemp bandwagon, take a look at sustainable fashion brand Komodo. Not only do they focus on sustainable fabrics such as hemp, soya, organic cotton and rayon.....but they've got some super cosy winter warmers and some cute tailored work wear.

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[ THE CRAFTS CENTRE ] Pokhara, Nepal

Shops like this are the reason I keep adding to my photographic collection of super bright, ethnic patterned fabrics, clothing and accessories - they make it so easy! I wondered into The Crafts Centre, again on Pokhara's Lakeside area, having been dazzled by the array of coloured weaves and embroidered homeware strategically placed out on the roadside. 

Whilst I'm a big fan of shopping in local markets and bazaars on my travels, I love discovering small, independently owned, fair trade stores like this one that stock hundreds of locally produced, traditional items. You may pay a slightly inflated price for those desirables but, generally, you can leave happy in the knowledge that the local artisans who hand crafted them are getting a fair price. Heed the obvious warnings though and assess the shop by its owner or salesperson - too pushy and you know they're out to make a quick buck, most likely paying under the odds for the goods themselves.  

 

 

The Craft Centre's chirpy owner was happy to take the time to show me around, explaining to me the significance of the symbols embroidered and woven into wall hangings, cushions and bags as well as the location of the villages that produced the unbelievably soft 100% yak wool scarves - perfect Christmas presents!

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[ COCONUT CHARMS ] Pokhara, Nepal

Earlier today, during another photographic excursion around Pokhara's backbacker haunt, I came across this delightful little collection of hand-carved, recycled coconut jewellery. Ranging from intricately carved earrings to hand-painted and stone-inlaid pendants in an array of symbolic and nature inspired designs, this cute collection makes a perfect go-to for souvenir hunters looking for a token Lakeside style keepsake. Oddly enough, the actual selling point of the shop was fishing rods and tattoos...

Straight outta nature, recycled coconut not only makes for perfect travel jewellery - being light-weight, durable and non precious - but is also a particularly sustainable option. Reusing otherwise redundant shells from empty coconuts, then shaping and scoring the surface with hand tools there's nothing inorganic about this stuff. So have a rummage around your local markets and boutiques, or just wait for your next beachside escape to get your hippy on and get some coconut!

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[ SHOP WHILE YOU SIP ] Open Hand Cafe, Varanasi

After three and a half months of mediocre instant coffee I leapt at the thought of sipping a proper cappucino when my boyfriend suggested I take a break from this weeks slog of freelance projects, and head down the street to the Open Hand Cafe near Varanasi's Assi Ghat. Having seen the name crop up a number of times around India in ye old Lonely Planet, I'm delighted I finally made a visit to one.

Open Hand's concept is that of a boutique coffee house where you can peruse the shelves for fairtrade, artisanal handicrafts whilst waiting for your mocha and banana nut muffin. In a country where bartering a fair price for goods that are often of debatable quality, Open Hand is essentially a tourist haven. Thoughtfully furnished and decorated with an array of beautiful hand spun silk shawls, cushion covers and bedspreads, its cosy 'contemporary ethnic' feel makes a welcome retreat from the crazy, traffic clogged streets of Varanasi...

[ PARADE POMP ] India-Pakistan Border

This evening I battled the monsoon rains to travel to the very ends of India (ok slight exaggeration) to witness what I was told to be a rather peculiar display of military spectacle, and spectacle I did find. Arriving at the India-Pakistan border 30km west of Amritsar I came upon what can only be described as a Monty Python-esque performance of goosestepping pomp, finely accessorised with these wonderful fan-wafer turbans! Every day at around 6pm these rather flamboyantly clad officals parade up and down the borer strip in front of hundreds of very patriotic Indians (and a gaggle of bemused foreigners) in a theatrical closing of the border ceremony with their Pakistani neighbours. I'm a bit of a sucker for uniforms, I find their varying assemblies and rank motifs or badges fascinating (I even wrote an entire dissertation on said topic at St Martins). Think it odd you may, but look at all the designers who have pulled inspiration from military uniforms: Temperley, Ralph Lauren, Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior, Derek Lam, Collette Dinnigan... the list goes on!