h.craft/ H.Loom
For SS25, Lorde & Donne collaborated with the hand-block printing community at Bagh to produce the key motif of the season; the ladybug.
The ladybug represents the two colours used by the craft community at Bagh; black and red.
The infamous Bagh Red is essentially a pink pigment derived from the alum stone that oxides over time turning into that deeper hue. The black dye is derived from iron rust.
The Baghini river’s high copper content gives a deeper hue to the naturally dyed colours. The flowing river water provides an environmentally-conscious alternative to wash off the natural dye paste.
The Khatri community of Bagh, are master artisans of their generational craft. During the course of our collaboration, we worked closely with Kazeem Khatri. Together we explored how to break away from the traditional application of woodblock printing while staying true to the essence of the craft.
Fabrics are initially treated with 'khara' and repeatedly trampled by foot before drying on hilltops in the village.
A linear, geometric flower print complements the scattered ladybugs. With this collaboration we attempted to present a new visual language of woodblock printing.