GLOBAL COLLECTIONS
Visit the Pacific Coast, the Taj Mahal, an English cottage, the Persian Mediterranean and beyond — all from the comfort of home as we take you on lush, colorful journeys around the globe. Original designs inspire your wanderlust while transporting you from the everyday though intentional, evocative story telling.
Beyond the breathtaking design, every print has a story to tell. Like the print itself, the inspiration behind the print is completely unique to Saffron Marigold. As you curl up with your new bedspread or gaze on your new bay window treatments, you can sink into the story of your textile art like a good book. Our founder and designer — a global traveler and patron of the arts — is also a whimsical creative.
They are all so lovely, each so unique. I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful collection of these exotic textiles, and because they were so well priced I splurged. It’s as if I went on a shopping spree in India. Thanks again for making these beautiful quality fabrics so easily accessible.
Laura, Santa Cruz, CA
The Northern California area where Anisha resides is abounding with art, the craft of winemaking, and stunning natural beauty. Such surroundings nurture her creativity and inspire her to imagine, write, and design. She transforms her fascination for world cultures into storytelling textiles, often tales of beautiful places and people that have influenced with Saffron Marigold fans around the world.
Beyond the main design on the front of our duvet covers and quilts, the reverse side has a story to tell. Not simply the boring stripe or low cost single/double color print. Our complementary prints within our collections tend to be simpler than our main prints but still retain a loving degree of complexity.
With every collection, you are able to refresh and customize your decor through a combination of main and complement items. And you are literally able to flip our bedding to get two unique, desirable looks with each piece.
Artisanal Heritage
As a child in tradition-rich India, our founder Anisha Ghosh was raised by parents who were avid collectors of art, crafts, and textiles—stirring her passion for all things handcrafted.
At age 7, one of her original paintings (shown above) won first place in an India-wide art competition for children. It was chosen by the Government of India to be printed as a postage stamp and ownership was requested. Her proud mom, however, decided that keeping the painting was more important than the distinction of having it printed as a government stamp, so her art stayed in the family! Today she hones that appreciation of textiles, pattern and color already obvious at such a young age by designing and collaborating with indigenous artisans to bring unique storytelling linens to a global audience.
Now you can enjoy beautiful textiles created by master craftspeople using block printing, a 5,000-year-old art. From the precise wood carvings to the vibrant dyes, a generational story flows through individual artisans into each living textile. Here are a few of the unique efforts that pay tribute to this art:
The border element
We specifically design our borders to embellish all our collections.
Most modern textiles do not have borders because the process requires each piece to be printed individually, making it truly a one of kind. For example, without the border the fabric could simply be printed en masse and then cut to size. To include borders requires the fabric for each piece to be measured first, blocked on on all four sides, and then blocked with the main print. So the border element literally requires each piece to be individually made.
“Amazing … the border had a different design and colors which made it perfect. The colors were vibrant and a show stopper…a work of art like this is wonderful. AMAZING TEAM! Thank you are sharing your artistry and talents with others!”
Judy, Fairhope, AL
Complex color palettes
Our patterns contain up to seven color palettes—more than any other modern-made patterns.
Each additional color requires an extra wood block to stamp that color across the surface area of the textile, representing the additional time, love, and care that goes into our designs.
Hand-crafted embellishment
One example includes hand-carved coconut-shell buttons that fasten our duvets.
Nothing else would be as authentic and up to our standards as these all-natural, rustic, and sturdy buttons. Another example is our valances, which are adorned with hand-beaded trim, adding a touch of shimmery glam as the light reflects off the tiny beads.
Our unique dyeing and printing process
A key aspect of woodblock printing is making a determination of the best dyeing technique to use for the design at hand.
Some warrant easy-to-mix pigment dyes e.g Indian Summer, others require the luminous colors only guaranteed by indigo sol and rapid dyes e.g. Orange Blossom, Spice Route. A few very special ones require the use of a discharge process, an impossibly difficult method that very few are even willing to try e.g. Pacific Blue. Aided solely by intuition and experience, our Color Master mixes the colors and formulates his color recipe and technique.
We work with only Master Block Artisans for our wood blocks that use techniques which celebrate the art of block printing on fabric. A simple design might require just three blocks, but our more complex designs might need up to 30 blocks! However, the block printing process goes beyond pressing blocks onto fabric. There are so many steps involved, from carving each wooden block to preparing fabric, mixing dyes, and applying final touches. Each block printing technique requires the highest level of artistry, skill, and patience.
Quality Assurance
Tonal variations and small spots are an inevitable and inherent part of the block printing process.
Connoisseurs of the craft view these as marks of the human hand that serve to enhance the individuality, character and uniqueness of each piece. We are passionate about the quality of our products. We have an exacting quality check process wherein each piece is checked twice before it is packed and shipped. Gross and unacceptable inconsistencies are not passed on to our customers as ‘charming inconsistencies’. We are proud to say that, due to our streamlined production process from start to finish, our rejection rates are low and we see little waste. Whatever little is rejected is always put to good use for other projects. This thoroughness and care also ensures that we receive hardly any customer returns due to quality issues.
Generational Impact
We create our exclusive designs in Petaluma, California, but they are expertly brought to life at our studios in Rajasthan, India through generations of skill and tradition embedded within their fibers.
Your purchase provides tangible support that improves the lives of artisans around the world and their families, sustains the craft of block printing, and celebrates original works of art that bring joy in this moment and into the future. The impact of your purchase resonates globally — from India and Africa to Spain and the U.S. — and over generations as this heirloom craft is passed down to protégées.
Saffron Marigold is committed to mentorship and the Fair Trade movement: we believe that there is simply no other way to do business. Saffron Marigold steps in to ensure the survival of this craft for the next generation. At our studio, we encourage young people to apprentice with us, and we pay above market rates. We operate in the spirit of fair trade and the legacy of the craft. This keeps us connected, humble, and soulful. We also employ other support team members throughout multiple countries. This connection ensures a wonderful ripple effect: steady employment for skilled artisans, economic self-sufficiency for apprentices, and a joyful livelihood for our creative and operational support employees in Europe, Asia, and the US all to ethically bring a world of living block printed textiles into your home.
“All of your (many) terrific tablecloths, duvet covers, and more, live on so well in my families’ households (plural — our daughters). Thank you thank you!”
Marilee, Berkely, CA
Please journey with us and enjoy the goods you purchase from us knowing that choice makes a positive social impact. Then pass these handmade works of art and living textiles down throughout your own family for future generations to enjoy and appreciate. Together the lives we have the ability to touch are endless.
