OUR STORY
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RASA - /ˈräsə/ /ˈrɑsə/ ‘A concept in Indian arts about the aesthetic flavor of any work that evokes an emotion or feeling but cannot be described’ Launched in Jaipur in 1998, RASA believes in the synergy between heritage and contemporary. We are committed to the preservation of craft while embracing technology. We design and manufacture fashion clothing and home textiles which touch the lives of the maker and the wearer/user equally. Each of our pieces is hand made with love and pride, impeccably crafted with subtle details. Sometimes, so subtle that one needs to look closely enough to notice them. Taking hand block printing to levels not seen before in this medium, we strive to push its boundaries. Our fabrics are handpicked from across the country; our processes are local. While Hand Block Printing forms the central pillar of our design activity, local crafts – embroidery, tie and dye, quilting and hand painting complement this centuries’ old craft seamlessly at RASA.
THE FOUNDERS / HISTORY “If you can dream it, you can do it” Madhulika (Madhu) and Manish (Tibbs) graduated in 1993 from the National Institute Of Fashion Technology in Delhi. While Madhu further mastered in textiles from the National Institute Of Design in Ahmedabad, Tibbs was dressing the glitterati of Bombay (now Mumbai). They made Jaipur their home in 1998, learning every day the finer nuances of the art of hand block printing.
Madhulika Singh Tibrewal & Manish Tibrewal
Young, energetic and experimental, they made artworks for the first year with a conscious effort to stay away from the design genres prevalent during that time. Finally setting up a block printing table, Tibbs mixed color while Madhu was the soul behind the aesthetic. Commencing with one block printer and one pattern master who also doubled up as their tailor, RASA’s first collection was launched in Delhi. Along the way, collaboration with a friend to make home textiles for the US market provided an insight into global aesthetic and standards. In this constantly changing world of fashion and textiles, every day is a new beginning. Today, RASA fashion and home textiles are available at select stores in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan and South East Asia.
Neeraj Tibrewal Neeraj, a graduate of XLRI Jamshedpur joined the team in 2007. A finance expert, he has been greatly instrumental in streamlining and managing operations since.
THE PROCESS We love the process. Albeit tedious, it’s an extremely engaging one: Once a design has been finalized, its repeats are perfected and handed over to the block maker. Using woods such as teak and shisham, the impression of the design is transferred using chalk paste onto the smoothened surface of these woods. These are then lovingly hand-carved using knives, chisels and mallets. The blocks could take anything from a week to a month to be perfected. Post this, they are soaked in oil for 10-15 days to soften and season the timber.
It all begins with the fabric that is first processed to free it of starch. It is then hand pinned on the printing table. Meanwhile, the colors are prepared and kept on a tray containing glue and print paste to ensure a soft base for the color, and to allow it to easily spread on the block.
The seasoned blocks are dipped in this color and then pressed on to the fabric. This process is repeated over and over again until the length of the fabric is complete. An average square meter of fabric takes approximately 250-300 such stamps to print. Precision is demanded by the artisans to ensure there are no breaks in the motifs. Usually, the outline is printed first, followed by the fillers. The artisan waits for the previous stamp to dry before he/she can stamp the next. The fabrics are left to dry, maintaining caution to prevent them from sticking to each other. The post-printing processes include steaming, washing, drying again, and lastly, being ironed.
INNOVATION “There’s always a way to do it better – find it.” Traditionally regarded as a technique for domestic consumption, hand block prints from Jaipur found their way to the US and European markets in the late 80s and the 90s. Usually printed on inexpensive cotton, RASA introduced silks and linens. Hand block prints were now fashion statements. Block printed fabrics from RASA were being used by celebrated decorators across the globe.
For over 2 decades, RASA has been pushing the boundaries of this craft. Our quest for possibilities in this medium has been relentless. Over the years, we have developed block printed Cloqué and Devoré techniques, seldom heard of before. Deviating from the norm of clean aligned stamps, we have smudged them, shifted them, overlapped them… and had fun! We’ve used our constraints to our advantage. Often pieces once printed cannot be replicated. Mistakes become great innovations. Not an inch of fabric is discarded at RASA.
Most of our products have a hand touched detail. Our handwork ladies are our most creative designers. We encourage participation; every now and then there’s a new stitch and a renewed vigor. We’ve been working with families in the villages bordering Pakistan for over 20 years. There is an ongoing process of skill upgradation – what was once a raw tribal embroidery technique is now a sophisticated and an elegant one.
OUR INSPIRATION “You don’t stumble upon your heritage. It’s there just waiting to be explored and shared” It’s a perpetual festival of patterns here. We draw inspiration from our surroundings in Jaipur, known for its craft, architecture and heritage. While the seed for most designs emerges from our cultural environment, the products bear a universal appeal. Understated luxury forms the basis of our design philosophy. Beautiful block prints on silks, linens and specially woven fabrics are a hallmark at RASA. Every pattern is original, with an interesting story behind each of them. “In Jaipur, a rich heritage of textiles and various crafts is a feast. It makes us feel extremely proud of our heritage, which never ceases to surprise us with its relevance in today’s context. Our products bring modernity to traditional spaces and tradition to modern ones”
RASA CARES – protecting the future of hand block printing “So much of our future lies in preserving our past” At RASA, simplicity of design with the sustenance of the crafts and the environment forms an integral part of its activities. Today, RASA influences the lives of several hundred craftsmen and artisans. The workforce comprises a large majority of women, many of them having been part of the family since its inception. Production at RASA is carried out under the SA8000 certification from Bureau Veritas for social compliance.
We block print at our state of the art facility in Bagru at JITP (Jaipur Integrated Texcraft Park), also known as Jaipur Bloc. All the effluent here is recycled through the CETP (Central Effluent Treatment Plant), and reused under a zero liquid discharge program. The facility has a 100% water harvesting system and a substantial part of the power used is generated from solar energy. While the quest for design refinement, craft conservation, social responsibility and environment sustenance is never ending, every small step in this direction is a celebration at RASA.
OUR TEAM
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