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From the House
The story behind the edit
One bag, and it is built to work. The Ikat Tote is handwoven in Ahmedabad, trimmed in vegan leather, closed with a metal zip across the top, and cut around a padded sleeve that takes a fourteen-inch laptop. Inside there is a zip pocket and slip pockets, because a tote without compartments is just a sack.
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The cloth is woven ikat rather than printed. The yarn is resist-dyed by hand before it reaches the loom, so the pattern sits inside the weave and its edges blur slightly, which is the tell for the real thing. Available in Midnight, Noor and Ruby.
It is the piece in the range that has to survive a commute rather than an evening, and it is built accordingly. We styled it three ways in the Ikat work tote, styled three ways.
Woven, Not Printed
Ikat is one of the few textile techniques where the pattern exists before the cloth does. The weaver works out the design in advance, binds sections of yarn to resist the dye, dyes it, unbinds it, and only then begins to weave, aligning thread against thread so the pattern emerges as the fabric forms. There is no undo. A misalignment of a few millimetres compounds across a length, which is why the soft-edged, slightly wavering motif is the signature of the technique rather than a defect in it. A printed imitation has crisp edges, because a machine has no such problem to solve. The full test is in how to tell a real woven ikat from a print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Ikat Tote fit a laptop?
Yes, up to fourteen inches, in a padded interior sleeve with extra cushioning. There is also an inner zip pocket, slip pockets, and a metal zip across the top of the bag.
Is the ikat woven or printed?
Woven. The yarn is resist-dyed by hand before it goes on the loom, so the pattern lives inside the cloth rather than sitting on the surface. If the edges of a pattern are perfectly crisp, you are looking at a print of ikat rather than ikat. We explain how to check in what is ikat.
Is it a work bag or an everyday bag?
Both, though the padded sleeve and the zip make it a better commuter than most handwoven totes. It is the bag to carry when you want something that holds a working day without looking like it was designed for one.
Is the leather real?
No. The handles and trim are vegan leather. Full material details are listed under Product Details on the product page.
How can I tell handwoven from powerloom?
Handwoven cloth has small irregularities in the weave and a slightly uneven selvedge; powerloom is mechanically perfect. We set out the checks in handloom versus powerloom.
Will the colours run?
Not in ordinary use. Ikat is dyed at the yarn stage rather than surface-printed, which makes the colour considerably more stable than a print, since it goes through the thread rather than sitting on it. Keep it out of prolonged damp all the same.
What do I carry it with?
It reads best against something plain, which usually means one of the kurtis or the shirt dress. Keep the earrings small and let the bag be the pattern.
How do I care for it?
Wipe clean with a dry cloth. Do not machine wash or soak it. Store it upright and lightly stuffed so the base keeps its shape, and keep it out of direct sun over long periods.