Article excerpted from stylebubble.co.uk
I am completely swayed by the precision of digital printing, especially when it involves cosmic prints, but that’s not to say hand dying is completely ruled out. Especially when someone like Shabd Simon-Alexander, based in Brooklyn, NY is doing it with such vigor and enthusiasm. She just opened up her e-shop, selling hand-dyed leggings, bodysuits, tops and shorts with jewellery and accessories soon to come. It’s not just the scorching heat this weekend that is making me yearn for these prints that are of course best enhanced by sunlight, but rather, the fact that it’s preserving a craft in a way that is contemporary and relevant.
What makes it even more interesting is that Shabd is willing to custom dye your own items to your specifications, meaning that with the right dress, I could end up print-blocking different prints together. I’m really into the idea of mixing Prism, Crystalline and Lichen all together into one garment (these are the names given to the various prints). This really is a case where messing around with a bunch of dyes in my bathtub would probably NOT result in these prints, and so a true dye master is needed.
From this basic line of garments, I’m also sure Shabd has some more complex design ideas up her sleeve, judging by her portfolio. I’m literally DYE-ING to know what Shabd will get up to next.
