Traditional Fabric Printing
One of the highlights of the trip was a tour of Les Olivades, a renowned French textile house celebrated for its mastery of traditional fabric printing techniques. We learned about traditional screen printing, rotary printing and digital printing of fabrics.
The designs of Les Olivades are deeply inspired by the natural beauty and vibrant colors of Provence. From sunflowers and olives to vivid geometric patterns, each print reflects the region’s essence. The use of bold, bright colors—sunny yellows, deep blues, and rich reds—captures the light and warmth of southern France.
Another highlight was dyeing textiles with woad, a yellow-flowered European plant grown as a source of blue dye, led by master woad cultivator and dyer Denise Lambert of L’Atelier des Bleus Pastel d’Occitanie. We learned the art of shibori dyeing and tried several techniques to magically transform our white fabrics into one-of-a-kind patterns.