Ikat is all the rage now, so I'm sure you've seen it on the runways and in plenty of shelter blogs and magazines. I've been madly in love with it ever since I encountered my first piece in Indonesia about 15 years ago. Since then, I've looked for it in many places, with varying success. Although I always associated it with Southeast Asia, and had found different types in India and Cambodia, it was thanks to the internet that I discovered it's also a national art in Uzbekistan! The three types shown above are all from the spring 2010 collection of Dries Van Noten. The top and bottoms ones are woven ikat, and the middle one is an ikat print. They were absurdly expensive but I can't say I regret it: I am officially obsessed with ikat and know I will wear these pieces for the rest of my life. (Note to self: must not get any fatter!) What exactly is ikat, you ask? And well you might.
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