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, a single gold bead 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.