JOURNAL

The Time-Honored Art of Block Printing with Padmini Govind

From the Summer 2023 collection, Adrianna wears the Opal Dress in Marigold Meadows

Our long-held admiration for block print is evident from the early days of our design process—the first one appeared back in 2016, as part of our Summer collection. Block printing is a centuries-old traditional Indian technique in which hand-chiseled wooden blocks are drenched in dye and hand-stamped onto fabric. Originating in the Bagru village of Rajasthan in the desert region of Western India, block printing is a generational craft with a rich cultural history—often, family block printing businesses engage three or more generations in the work.

When searching for factory partners, we intentionally seek out facilities that align with our mission to create lasting, beautiful clothing while supporting women throughout our supply chain. In 2021, we began our partnership with Tharangini, a Bangalore-based block printing studio that upholds those same values. Like DÔEN, Tharangini is a women-led business steeped in a strong sense of community and place, where longstanding rapports and thoughtfully-curated wares are inextricably linked. Collaborations like the one we share with Tharangini help to preserve the time-honored tradition of block printing while creating opportunities for economic empowerment in rural India. With our Spring collection, we’re thrilled to share two new prints, Desert Blooms and Soledad Bloom, alongside our Elderberry Block Print, which we first introduced this past fall—each designed in collaboration with Tharangini and lovingly hand-stamped by their skillful artisans.

Tharangini is owned and operated by Padmini Govind, whose mother founded the business in 1977. Padmini’s connection to her home and community is profound—her family goes back many generations in Bangalore, and is intent on empowering and supporting those they work with. We sat down with Padmini to talk about environmental responsibility, social enterprise, and the legacy of artisan work in a society that increasingly favors high volume over handmade, intentional pieces.

Reporting by Leah Bhabha

How did Tharangini begin and what does the name mean?

Tharangini was started in 1977 by my mother, though she fell in love with textile art and block printing years before when she was in college in Delhi studying sociology and anthropology. She returned to Bangalore and set up the studio in our family home, which is an eight-acre property in the middle of the city. It’s on a lake, surrounded by trees—an urban forest, you could say. My grandfather named the property tharanga, which means “waves” in Sanskrit, in honor of the lake that surrounds us. Gini is the green Indian parakeet. Our name shows how we respect and are inspired by nature.

What was the impact of the surrounding environment of Bangalore on the business?

We are third- and fourth- generation Bangaloreans, born and raised here. We grew up with a deep connection and respect for handwork and artisans. Karnataka, the state in which Bangalore is located, was and remains the largest producer of silk in India.

Today, the city has changed and been taken over as a tech hub, the Silicon Valley of India. But once upon a time, there were many silk weaving and block printing units, and many people creating beautiful saris. Today, almost all of them are gone. We are the last production block print heritage unit left in Bangalore. I feel all the more onus and responsibility to preserve and pursue and take this forward to the next generation.

“We are the last production block print heritage unit left in Bangalore. I feel all the more onus and responsibilityto preserve and pursue and take this forward to the next generation.”

Why did you join the business?

I was living in the U.S. when my husband’s company was starting operations in India, so we relocated back in 2007. At the time, my mother’s health was quite weak, but she was very clear about not forcing me to quit my corporate job to take Tharangini forward. She told me, “It has run for 30 years, I won’t feel guilty or sad if we decide to collectively close it and make it into a museum.”

But I’ve grown up with these artisans, some of whom have been with us for four decades, so I really could not bring myself to close Tharangini. With the team, I had to work to pivot into new areas and learn from the ground up—like printing on cotton, because up until that point, we were only doing saris and printing on silk. They were willing to evolve. I see myself as a facilitator—it’s ultimately their company to sail forward because it’s run as a social enterprise for their benefit and has featured profit sharing since the start.

Can you tell us more about your team of Tharangini artisans?

We have a team of about 24 artisans associated with Tharangini, and have one of the largest private archives of wood blocks in India—several thousands of them. The idea is to keep it as a living, breathing studio where people can come and see artisans at work and continue this line of textile art in the context of Bangalore.

With any art form like block printing that’s a surface embellishment technique, there is a whole back-end ecosystem that is equally important to maintain. For example, the carving of wood blocks is a completely different art form that takes many years to master. And in our city of 12 million people, there are only three to four wood carvers left today. This is the reality of textile heritage. We have to look at the lateral art forms that are fed by this one art form; the adaptability and awareness among consumers will help drive this. If they support brands like DÔEN that support artisan clusters, it’s a win-win.

Let’s talk about how Tharangini is a women-owned and operated business.

I remember coming back from school and going with my mum to different meetings. I learned a lot from her—she really stuck to her ground as an entrepreneur when she had many challenges. Over time, as women have taken their place in other industries in India—from biotech to engineering to medicine and beyond— they’ve come to be a little more respected.

Historically in the artisan community, there were certain categories of work that were reserved for men and others reserved for women. Since Tharangini has always been women-owned, we have always believed in empowering women to be decision-makers. So not only is it equal work and equal pay, it’s also equal decision making. We of course also give access to the right healthcare—especially as women’s health needs are different—and make sure they have the right childcare. These are things that have really helped the people on my team.

“Since Tharangini has always been women-owned, we have always believed in empowering women to be decision-makers. The future of artisan-made goods is pinned on next-generation designers who can transform and interpret the skill to reach a new audience.”

How does Tharangini approach environmental responsibility?

It’s going back to the basics: the inherent practices of any traditional textile form are always low impact, with an emphasis on reusing and generating minimal waste—because resources were precious for weavers and dyers.

In 2020, we applied for sustainability certification and received a gold-level standard. I did it as a self-audit, to see where we stand and where we can improve. It talks about everything: our supply chains, how we are low waste, how we are carbon friendly, and what we are doing in terms of environmental and social impact. We strategized Tharangini’s sustainability goals in three areas:

1. How we nurture the artisan community and the community that surrounds them.

2. Maintaining a viable and environmentally-friendly set of processes.

3. Having an equitable and fair economy irrespective of any sort of standard (i.e. gender, socioeconomic strata, etc.) that may be applied to people working in a studio.

It’s about creating a measurable impact. It’s great to say you have a social impact, but how do you really measure that to see improvement year after year? How can you accelerate that further?

From the Fall 2022 collection, our Elderberry Block Print Quilt and Sham Set

What does the future of Tharangini look like?

If you ask most artisans what their aspiration for their children is, they’ll say, “I want them to get a good education and become an engineer or work in a bank.” So, how are we going to pass on this skill set we have nourished for over 45 years? Our goal is not only to work with self-help groups but also with educational institutions. Students need to be exposed to concepts of sustainable fashion through curriculums. Otherwise, they’ll live in a digital world with no knowledge of handcrafts or handmade goods. The future of artisan-made goods is pinned on next-generation designers who can transform and interpret the skill to reach a new audience.