It started in 2023

When Siva and I visited Jaipur in 2023, we weren't thinking about block printing at all. Our focus at the time was firmly on our embellished styles but during that trip, we happened to stop by a small shop that created its own block-printed pieces, selling them mainly to tourists passing through the city.

As South Asians, block printing wasn't something new to either of us. We'd grown up seeing it and wearing it but this was the first time I had the chance to actually watch the making process up close, to see the blocks, the dye, the stamping, the repetition. It was fascinating!

Then, we left it there. We had other things to focus on, and the timing just wasn't right. Block printing stayed in the back of my mind, but that was all.

Two years later, the timing was perfect

In 2025, we happened to meet a supplier who specialised in block printing. Sometimes things just fall into place and this was one of those moments! The timing felt right in a way it hadn't before, and suddenly the idea we'd quietly shelved two years earlier was very much back on the table.

However, I had one non-negotiable from the start. I wanted to design everything ourselves. I was aware that many brands simply purchase styles with ready-made blocks and sell them as their own designs. That's not something I was ever willing to do. If we were going to create a block print collection, it had to be entirely ours, our own signature designs, our own blocks made from scratch, on fabrics like organic cotton that aligned with our Kōr values and that meant starting from a completely blank page.

Finding the design inspiration

When it came to actually designing, I wasn't sure where to begin. And then I thought back to that first trip to Jaipur in 2023 and the elephants!

Elephants are majestic, symbolic and deeply connected to the culture and history of India. They had stayed with me ever since that trip and it felt right that they should be at the heart of this collection. The elephant became the starting point for the design.

From there, I looked closer to home, to our own Amara collection, with its intricate embroidery designs also inspired by our time in Jaipur. I took elements from that embroidery and wove them into the block print design, creating something that felt connected to the wider world of Aarabhi London rather than sitting apart from it. A signature design that was entirely ours.

The moment we knew

Once the artwork was finished, we sent everything off and then we waited. Months passed. Honestly, during that time we weren't even sure if we were going to go ahead with it. We had never done anything with block prints before and it felt like a risk...

...Until then the samples arrived.

We were blown away! They were beautiful. The prints were rich and detailed, the fabrics felt exactly as they should and the styles were flattering in a way we hadn't quite anticipated. Everything we had hoped for was sitting right in front of us!

We knew immediately. We had to go for it.

Six new styles. All block printed by hand. All designed by me (Aarabhi)!

If you don't try, you'll never know. That's what we kept telling ourselves — and we're so glad we listened.