Pinwheels + Blocks

Unique hand block prints are a signature to our collections and this season, we collaborated with artist, Aleishall Girard Maxon, who designed two original patterns.

Aleishall Girard Maxon has worked in the worlds of fashion and design for over 15 years. Her work always starts with color and then from there comes form, texture and the dialogue between all three. Interested in the juxtaposition of delicacy and strength, she often explores these themes within the material and construction of her pieces. Aleishall is also co-creative director of Girard Studio which aims to preserve and promote the design legacy of her late grandfather Alexander Girard.

Design Development of Pinwheels + Blocks

Aleishall's design process starts with a tissue paper collage in order to understand how the shapes would relate to one another as blocks. 

First Round of Block Printing

Aleishall's designs were interpreted into traditional hand-carved blocks and printed by master artisans. The block prints were created in a town called Pedana, a town that was introduced to Kalamkari printing approximately 40 years earlier. We work with a family-owned company who was one of the original pioneers of bringing the art form to the small town. With help from the government, the owner learned the art of printing natural dyes with blocks on various fabrics. The printer's base operations was relocated to Pedana as demand increased.

What started off with just two simple items grew organically into a wide spectrum of products. They currently produce more than ninetyeco-friendly items across ten categories and support around fifty families.

The complete manual and labor-intensive process resulted in an overall pattern that is repetitive yet random and unique to the printer's artistry. Part of the inherent quality of using natural dyes are their unpredictability. Colors are matched as best as possible but often have a surprising twist. 

The End Results

SHOP PINWHEELS + BLOCKS