Meaning “written in wax,” Batik is an ancient craft technique of polychrome printing, found mainly in the regions of West Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. With imagination as the only limitation, each region of the world develops its own styles and materials inspired by the art of Batik, resulting in the creation of inimitable patterns and colors.
Cotton and silk are the most commonly used materials, and we carefully select only high-quality fabrics. Our exceptional cottons offer better control over the patterns due to their density, and our delicate silks allow us to create truly vibrant colors, as do our linens which are solely from Europe.
The Batik technique involves creating prints by waterproofing the parts of the fabric that you want to protect from dyeing using hot wax. While each country has developed its own methods over the centuries, the basic principles of dyeing have been preserved, and Maogany strives to sustain them using its own techniques.
After carefully preparing the color you have selected from our color chart, we moisten the linen as this allows for better diffusion of the hues and miscibility between the colors.
The fabric is dipped in one or more paint baths and the artist then dexterously applies his or her own manual techniques. This is alternated with natural drying, allowing the sun and the wind to create unique reflections on each garment they caress.
Next comes the printing, where the colors of your choice and the indefinable patterns drawn by the Caribbean wind are set into a personalized and indelible print.