The Brand
STUDIO Kala Niketan is a representative of India’s precious handloom heritage, instantly recognizable the world over for its richness, variety, and iconic prints. At Studio Kala Niketan, India’s long and varied textile and design tradition come together with our unique interpretation, and become the foundation of our creations. Peacocks and horses, wild flowers and paisleys, and other such motifs to create a vibrant living tableaux, coexisting with inspiration drawn from architecture and other visual arts.
Each of our designs can trace its roots to a traditional design, interpreted in our signature, unique manner to create fresh and previously-unseen designs in unexpected colours and hues. Our exquisite scarves are versatile in their use and our accessories lend statement appeal to every wardrobe.
The Artist
Bharatbhai Parekh started this beautiful journey in 1967 with an aim to understand the traditional designs of India and give them a new lease of life. He developed a unique style that combined the ancient traditions of Indian craftsmanship with contemporary innovations. His genius and unmatched creative aesthetic gave birth to screen printing on silk and works of art, par excellence.
His passion to bring STUDIO Kala Niketan to life saw him start his journey with a cardboard box in a garage. His beautiful prints which are known as KN PRINTS are a mix of classic and contemporary have fetched him awards and accolades across the world. From personalizing wearable art for the most famous names in the Indian entertainment landscape to creating designs for the most renowned of international fashion houses, Mr. Parekh has built a reputation for creating extraordinary design and colour combinations that are the hallmark of STUDIO Kala Niketan not just in India, but across the world.
The Craftsmanship
The life of our product starts in our design studio with a paper drawing by our artist. Next we determine the best colours for that print before it’s transferred to silkscreens. For the silkscreen printing process, the design is exposed on a screen by passing it through laser in a screen-making machine or affixed by stencil.
Each color in a design necessitates a separate screen. Once the screens are made, the fabrics readied for printing after degumming and drying, and hot wax tables prepared, the actual printing starts.
The expert craftsmen lay the first color on the fabric by passing a squeegee back and forth to make the print impression evenly on the fabric. This process is repeated several times until all the colors are printed. Once this is done the fabric is steam processed to fasten the colors and washed to drain all excess colors.
The printed fabric is then dried in natural sunlight, taken through quality check, ironed and readied to be transported to your wardrobe.
