Why I left fast fashion to learn block print and natural dye in Jaipur

Hi, I am Eva. I grew up in Rome, I trained as a textile designer, and for years I worked in fashion. At the end of 2024 I lost my job in the industry. At the time it felt like a hard knock. Looking back, it was the push I needed to stop and ask myself what I actually wanted from my work and my life.

I spent the following months learning new things, improving my German, studying SEO and a bit of web development, and giving myself the space to think. Slowly one thing became clear: I did not want to go back to the corporate fashion world.

Why I walked away from fashion

I had spent years inside an industry that often felt disconnected from the people who actually make the products. Everything moved incredibly fast. There was constant pressure to produce more, sell more, cut costs. Creativity felt like an afterthought, and a lot of what we made was little more than a copy of an existing trend. As I once put it, I felt like I was in a cage, in an environment that had become toxic.

What I missed most was the human side. The stories behind the work. The relationship with the people creating things. The sense that what we were doing meant something. I felt trapped in a system that no longer matched my values.

What I do love is curiosity. Meeting people, learning from other cultures, travelling slowly, discovering traditional skills and craftsmanship. I have always believed that handmade work carries something a machine never will: time, knowledge, passion, and a human connection.

Why Jaipur

That is why I chose Jaipur. I arrived with an open mind and no real plan, just wanting to explore and be inspired. What I found was a city full of creativity, colour and extraordinary artisans. Watching craftspeople work by hand, with techniques passed down through generations, reminded me of everything I felt was missing. For the first time in a long while, I felt inspired again.

I should say this did not come from nowhere. I studied fashion design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and specialised in textile design, which was always the real love. A scholarship took me to Lyon to experiment with tie-dye and dyeing techniques. A master in sustainable fashion opened up the world of natural dye and certifications. So when I talk about block printing and natural dyes, it is not a hobby I picked up on holiday. It is years of studying textiles, followed by a decision to learn the traditional way, by hand, from the artisans who still practise it in Rajasthan.

What block print and natural dye actually are

Block printing is exactly what it sounds like: a carved wooden block, dipped in dye, pressed by hand into the fabric, repeated across the cloth until a pattern appears. It looks simple and it is not. Lining up each impression, keeping the colour even, carving the block in the first place, all of it takes practice and patience.

Natural dye is the other half of the story. Instead of synthetic colour, the dye comes from plants, minerals and traditional recipes. It is slower, it behaves differently, and it connects straight back to the sustainable side of textile work that I studied. Indigo, the deep blue of so much Indian cloth, is one of the best known.

The workshop is about doing, not watching

In my workshops you do not stand behind a rope and watch an artisan perform. You print. You dye. You make something with your own hands and you take it home. I pass on what I learned from the local artisans, with enough context that the piece you walk away with actually means something to you.

This is also where my two worlds meet. My journey, in the end, is a mix of handicraft and tourism, all together. The same curiosity that sent me looking for local craft in Laos, Vietnam and Taiwan is the one that shapes a morning of block printing in Jaipur.

How IndiAmo Travels was born

The more people I met in Jaipur, the more I understood that this was the world I wanted to belong to. One built on relationships, creativity, cultural exchange and respect for human work. That is how IndiAmo Travels came to be.

Today I create experiences that help travellers connect with the people, the traditions and the craftsmanship that made me fall in love with India in the first place. Because for me, travel is not about consuming places. It is about connecting with people.

Who these workshops are for

You do not need to be a designer or an artist to join. Most people come because they have fallen for Indian textiles and want to understand the craft beyond the finished product. For designers and makers who want to go further, I also help develop collections, from sizing and pricing through to production. But the workshop itself is open to anyone who wants to learn by doing, not just by watching.

If learning block print in Jaipur is something you have always meant to do, this is your chance to actually do it. Message me on WhatsApp to ask about a workshop. I will reply in your language, usually within a day.