With an origin story traversing South America, Central Africa, East Asia, South Asia and South-East Asia, Ikat is probably one of the oldest known techniques of resist dyeing fabrics across the world. A story that originated centuries ago and has since continued to evolve. Embark on a journey from the past to the future...a journey through the Ikat legacies of Patan Patola of India, Pua Kumbu of Malaysia, Kasuri of Japan, Ulos of Sumatra, Dioula of Ivory Coast, Rebozos of Mexico and many more...

The Fergana Valley in Uzbekistan tells the centuries old tale of the Central Asian Ikat practiced by specialist weavers and dyers along the ancient Silk Road. Traditionally worn by men and women daily until early twentieth century, 'chapan' Ikat robes from the region are now priced collectibles. Distinguished by their vibrant colours and large motifs, Ikat textiles from the region have transcended into an art form from the limits of the local marketplaces.

One is the hand-woven warp printed technique that flourished unsurprisingly under the patronage of Marie-Antoinette in 18th century France, used for fabrication of her court clothes and upholstery of her luxury furniture. The other, a more humble Indigo cotton textile from the same era that has since become a favorite for home furnishings in the country and world over. Both lesser known representations of Ikat from an unlikely region, Europe.

Ikat textiles woven using indigenous 'Abaca' banana fibre are one of the most distinctive craft export from the Mindanao region in Southern Philippines. The weave is distinctive, bold and yet intricate and stands our for its use of indigenous colors and motifs. The T'boli tribes n Mindanao employ Ikat techniques to produce locally celebrated tapestries that have now come to be valued world over.