Behind the Blocks: The Story of Our Latest Collection
Every Dilli Grey collection begins long before the first garment arrives in the Barnes Boutique.
Long before the fabrics are printed, before the dresses are sewn, before the rails are filled with colour.
It begins with a spark.
Last summer, wandering through a vintage fair, I came across a dress that completely stopped me in my tracks. It wasn’t the shape that caught my eye first, it was the colour. The palette was so beautifully balanced that I knew instantly it was the beginning of something special.
I brought the dress home and placed it in my studio where it quietly became the starting point for this entire collection.
From that moment, the design journey began.
It always starts with colour
Colour is always the very first chapter of a Dilli Grey collection.
Before prints, before silhouettes, before fabric choices , I spend weeks immersed in shades and tones. I lay swatches next to each other, move colours around, photograph them in different lights and sit with them for days at a time.
Some combinations feel right immediately. Others take patience.
It’s a slow process, but it’s an important one because the colour palette sets the mood for everything that follows.
Once the colours feel balanced and harmonious, the real creative work begins.
Bringing the prints to life
With the palette decided, I begin working with our artisan partners in India to develop the prints.
This stage is incredibly collaborative. Hand block printing is an art that has been passed down through generations, and the artisans bring a deep understanding of what works beautifully when translated onto cloth.
Together we experiment with borders, butis, florals and placements, discussing how prints will move across the body, where borders should sit, and how to create a sense of balance within each garment.
Sometimes the smallest adjustments make the biggest difference.
A border might move slightly higher.
A motif might be spaced further apart.
A colour might soften just a little.
It’s a careful process of refinement, guided by both design instinct and centuries of craft knowledge.
Mapping everything out
Before anything goes anywhere near production, we spend a lot of time mapping the collection out on paper.
There are sketches, CAD drawings, print layouts and fabric swatches everywhere.
We test repeat sizes, explore placements and imagine how each print will translate onto a dress, blouse or skirt. It’s important to me that the prints don’t just look beautiful as fabric they have to work perfectly when worn.
This stage takes time, but it allows us to design thoughtfully and avoid unnecessary sampling.
Sampling is costly and time consuming, and part of our commitment to sustainability is trying to develop designs carefully enough that we only sample pieces we truly believe will work.
In many ways, the development stage takes almost as much time as the production itself.
But it’s also the part of the process I love the most.
The moment everything becomes real
Last September I travelled to India to see the first samples.
There is something incredibly special about that moment.
After months of colour decisions, print development, sketches and conversations, suddenly the designs exist as real garments for the first time.
I remember opening the samples and quite honestly nearly swooning with delight.
Seeing the colours come alive on cloth, the prints balanced perfectly on the garments and the pieces hanging beautifully it’s one of the most rewarding moments in the entire process.
And in that instant, I always imagine the next moment too.
The moment when you, our customers, see the collection for the first time.
Eight months in the making
From that vintage dress discovery last summer to the moment the collection arrived in the Barnes Boutique, the journey took around eight months.
Eight months of ideas evolving, colours being refined, prints being carved, fabrics being printed and garments being carefully made.
Slow fashion truly lives up to its name.
Nothing is rushed.
Every piece carries the time, thought and craftsmanship of everyone involved in its creation from the first spark of inspiration to the final stitch.
From our artisans to your wardrobe
When you see a Dilli Grey piece hanging in the shop or arrive through your letterbox, you’re seeing the final chapter of a much longer story.
A story that began with a vintage dress, travelled through studios and artisan workshops, and slowly came together through months of creativity and collaboration.
It’s a labour of love.
And I feel incredibly lucky to share that journey with you.
Thank you, as always, for supporting the craft, the artisans and the slower way of doing things.
Vickie x
Browse the new collection here
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