Jaipur Diaries

Field notes from the start of something new

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In Jaipur, the April heat clings like velvet. But I came with a purpose: to begin the first in-house capsule collection for Shan Shan Lim Studios.

I spent long days weaving through sandstorms, between block printers, tailors, and carpet makers, stitching together ideas. I was there to sample, to solve, to translate vision into method. And I felt more present than I’d felt in a long time.

At the block print table

Cotton is stretched taut over long wooden tables, held in place with pins. Working alongside the block printers, I designed our custom motifs and tested colours, warm ochres, muddy pinks, deep lake greens.

I carved one of the blocks with my own design for the first time and savoured the way the wood curls back with each cut. There’s a rhythm to block printing, dip, press, lift, that feels less like work and more like a kind of remembering.

Each print carries its maker’s hand. Lines waver, tones shift. No two are quite the same and that’s exactly what gives them soul.

Sampling with intention

I worked closely with a small, dependable team to fine-tune the samples. Everything needed to feel right: weight, movement, construction. We adjusted seams, tweaked finishes, laboured over fabric choices.

This process was about ensuring the work could hold the spirit it was born from.

A velvet first step

A long-held dream of mine, I finally created a pair of hand-embroidered velvet shoes. The first of many. The flower motif is our Jaipur-inspired version of the Bunga Shan. Petals stitched with silk thread, each one softly padded, three gold beads in the centre.

They’re grounded by thick leather soles, firm now, but with time, they’ll soften to you. Pre-order them here.

Rooftop weavers

In the Old City, I visited the carpet makers and cleaners. Their rooftops are open-air studios. Yarns dyed in small batches, drying under the sun, draped over walls in a wash of sunset colours. Carpets here are cut, washed, brushed out by hand. These are unhurried stories.

Chai and side quests

There were also moments of quiet joy. I recommend chai at Tapri Central, an afternoon at The Johri, wood-fired pizza at Bonkey’s, sketching in the soft light of Kothi Café. The Lama served up ridiculously good sushi. Indian Coffee House was like a time capsule, still ticking in sepia tones.

For a shop or a browse, try The Palace Atelier, The PDKF Store and Jaipur Modern. I wandered through rooms layered in textiles, light, and memory.

What remains

I brought home swatches, shoes, notes, and outlines. More than anything, though, I carried back a sense of grounding, a reminder that slow work makes space for depth, that the handmade always leaves a trace.

The collection is still forming, stitched together from silent mornings, pink dust, velvet heat, and the steady hands of Jaipur.