Silk Road Lab is a concept collection dedicated to merging urban fashion with the traditional craftsmanship of Central Asia. We focus on the unique artisanal and handmade pieces that go along with current fashion trends.

We work with some of the most talented designers and artisans who produce exclusive designs using traditional methods.

Ikat is a traditional dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs resist dyeing on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric. Central Asia demonstrates strong ikat traditions with many artisans looking to their past for inspiration. A characteristic of ikat textiles is an apparent “blurriness” to the design. The blurriness is a result of the extreme difficulty the weaver has lining up the dyed yarns so that the pattern comes out perfectly in the finished cloth. The blurriness can be reduced by using finer yarns or by the skill of the craftsperson. Silk Road Lab uses organic silk and cotton ikat of highest quality.

Felt is the oldest known textile. It was known in many cultures including Central Asia. Felt is made by hand by matting, condensing and pressing wool fibers together. Silk Road Lab works with natural wool to produce the highest quality handmade felt, which we then use in cutting edge fashion designs. The resulting masterpieces combine ancient material techniques with modern design in one of a kind pieces that are very lightweight and warm at the same time.

Batik is a technique of hand-dyeing fabrics by using wax as a dye repellent to cover parts of a design, dyeing the uncovered fabric with a color or colors, and dissolving the wax in boiling water. It was known in ancient Egypt and was popularized in Indonesia.
Silk Road Lab presents unique designs by the artisans of Central Asia, who continue passing down the tradition from generation to generation. The amount of work and craftsmanship that goes into making batik makes the pieces unique art pieces.