Rungolee Print Perfect
Anjali, the Designer behind the prints
Anjali grew up among a kaleidoscope of color and culture in Calcutta, India, relishing the brilliant mix of taste, texture and heritage permeating her West Bengal home. When you purchase a Rungolee print, it is one-of-a-kind. A labor of love. A translation of the world around us into something that clothes you in beauty and culture. Anjali travels the world seeking inspiration in every window, gallery and market she encounters, from the souks of Morocco to Paris’s Champs Éylsées.
The Process: From Start to Finish
The very first step in putting our collection together is designing and perfecting each print. This original print collection is a major contributor to what makes every piece of ours unique. The process begins with a digital drawing of each pattern which allows us to play with different combinations of color, scale and proportion, and fine tune each detail for beauty and cohesion. We love giving the prints a modern, yet painterly feel!
Once a print artwork is perfected, we send it digitally to our Mumbai Atelier to create a repeat. This turns the artwork into a fabric pattern. Once the repeat is approved, the process of creating multiple printing screens begins.
Our prints are very complex. The pattern is broken up into color layers where each color requires its own screen, which is an engraving of the print. These screens are made by hand with a metal mesh framed in wood. It is not unusual for one print to have multiple screens allowing for various colors to be layered together.
The printing process begins with a "strike-off" -a "strike-off" is a small silk swatch of our print samples on our choice of fabric. Once these are completed, they are couriered to us allowing for an in person review for color and scale accuracy. This often requires several renditions to get a print just right!
After final approval, our silk is laid out, secured, and ready for printing. This is truly an art. Two people stand opposite each other over long tables, taking a "pass" back and forth one color at a time. They move along the length of the fabric, 36 inches at a time, printing only 40 yards at one time. Some of our prints require 8-10 rounds along the table to complete the print. This includes allowing adequate drying time in between each cycle.
This is truly small batch and slow fashion. Shifts in temperature, humidity, and handling all effect the final result of the print. It is very carefully controlled and requires an excessive amount of attention to detail. Once completed, the fabric is steamed, passed through a roller to finish, and shipped to our Atelier to begin the garment making process!
