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Founders
We are Ann & Serge – two textile designers exploring creativity through color on cloth.
Slowstitch began in 2015 when we met by chance in rural Japan while studying under the same traditional textile craftsman.
There, in the deep mountains, we discovered a shared appreciation for the handcrafted approach to creating textiles.
Our first experiments in creating patterns on cloth were made at Ann’s kitchen in Bangkok using locally harvested natural dyes and handwoven fabrics from far-flung provinces in Thailand.
Now we live in Chiang Mai where we continue to create one-of-a-kind garments, accessories and fabrics for home and living that aim to bridge the gap between contemporary and traditional ways of life.
Our designs are infused with journeys and experiments in pattern creation aimed to celebrate the human touch.
Process
Inspiration for our designs often comes from old masters’ works, forgotten patterns and our own reinterpretations of traditional designs.
Many of the works are created using a time intensive process called shibori, also known as stitch-resist dyeing.
Blurred edge patterns with soft nuances and color gradations are the uniquely special characteristics of this technique.
These are achieved by stitching the fabric by hand, pulling the threads to compress the piece and dyeing it in our indigo vats or other non-toxic dyes.
The process takes many days and ensures a unique result each and every time. There are no two identical pieces of shibori textiles in the world and an element of the unexpected is always present.
Natural dyes also play an important part at our studio. Leaves, roots and flowers from various dye plants are sourced locally whenever possible and gently simmered for several hours to make potent colorful extracts.
We also use indigo to dye many of our pieces in deep navy blue tones or combine it with the other dyes to create new colors.
Check out our YouTube channel for videos of how we make our creations.
Team
We employ the help of several local women who we are proud to call our fellow artisans.
Unlike many other textile studios we never pay our staff by the piece, appreciating that rushing our work is impossible.
Instead we choose to employ our team on a full-time basis, enroll them in health and welfare schemes and provide them with a clean, comfortable, safe, ventilated and well-lit environment.
We believe that not only is this the most sensible and humane way to make beautiful objects – it’s also one that helps to encourage new generations to take up artisanal professions.
As a result our works are typically priced higher than those of other Asian textile producers.
Our greatest privilege has been to work with customers, clients and collaborators who recognize that quality, dignified working conditions and a hope for the future of craftsmanship comes at a price.