Chan Chan

Design is more than just a pattern on fabric. The Larsen studio was noted for its ability to combine several elements into a finished piece and utilized resources from around the world. Chan Chan, inspired by West African fold dying techniques, is such a design. The fabric was woven on power looms in Switzerland, then shipped to the Kenyan dye workshop of English designer Eliza Wilcox, who adapted the fold-dye technique to create production yardage. Working to the beat of a drum, fifty women accordion-folded fifty yards of fabric. After the material was marked and tightly wrapped, it was immersed in dye vats. This procedure was repeated to develop the design. The finished cloth was shipped to the United States for finishing, then sent to Larsen’s New York office.