Resort ’22

The sun is setting down slowly, painting the sky in shades of reds, pinks, and orange. There is a light breeze, making the palms swing but you can still feel the heat of the passing day on the sand under your bare feet. It is promising another warm summer evening, with the aroma of cigars drifting in the air and dancing with the rhythm of the songs coming from the streets. 

A shining Caribbean day is shading into an endless Caribbean night.

This moment is captured in the new Savannah Morrow Resort ’22 collection.

But it all started with a piece of forgotten fabric, hanging on a dusty mannequin as a shawl, in another part of the world. 

Come on the journey with us to discover more.

The craft, inspiration, and beginnings

The story of our new Resort ’22 collection begins with our fabric artisans.

For the past three years, we have been working with a family business in a small village in India. This family has been practicing, perfecting, and preserving the wavering craft for over 100 years, passing it from generation to generation. Using wooden handlooms and old knowledge of fabric work, the family was guarding the heritage of the village while respecting the nature around them.

When we partnered with them in 2019, they were just a small team. Unfortunately, their craft and tradition were overshadowed by the advancing, mass-producing industry. Together, we started designing and developing fabrics, unique to Savannah Morrow. Since, our partners have grown their operations well beyond their own family, creating opportunities throughout their village. Now, more people are able to work from the comfort of their homes. This keeps the craft alive and thriving. 

During an early visit in 2019, our founder Savannah was discussing the different fabrics this family business has made through decades. At one point, she discovered a sample of fabric, in a backroom, hanging on an old mannequin. She became fascinated by the fabric’s texture, shine, and depth. It was light to the touch but had a character that she hadn't seen before. 

However, this fabric from the early 1990s was a blend of silk and polyester, and it was not in line with Savannah’s philosophy to create clothes that respect the beauty and power of nature. Thus, she moved on to make other fabrics, using only natural and sustainable materials.

Still, she did not forget this enchanting fabric. She knew that one day, she will find a way to make a sustainable version of it. The day came when she discussed it with the weaving partners in India who were enthusiastic to revive the old design. We embarked on a 6 months journey to find the right material, sources, and technique.

The result is the new bamboo and peace silk fabric that makes our Resort ’22 collection. It is our most luxurious fabric yet. Here is why…

The beauty of bamboo and peace silk

The unique texture and wrinkle present in our new collection come from a fabric that is composed of bamboo and peace silk. We have chosen these two materials for their individual qualities as well as the possibility to source them ethically and with minimum environmental impact.

Bamboo has fascinated us for a long time. This natural material comes from a fast-growing and carbon dioxide-absorbing plant. Bamboo needs no pesticides to grow and usually depends on rainfall with no extra irrigation. Compared to cotton, it requires significantly less water and is better for the soil. We decided to use 100 OEKO-TEX certified bamboo, meaning that no chemicals are used during the processing and manufacturing. This is our guarantee that our fabric is free of harmful substances. Our bamboo is grown in India and we are sourcing it responsibly, avoiding contributing to deforestation.

Bamboo is naturally lightweight and soft. We decided to enhance this by blending it with peace silk.

Silk on its own is a truly wonderful material. Apart from being lightweight, it is strong and breathable and has been the epitome of luxury for centuries. But the standard silk production, known as sericulture, is highly unethical. The standard silk comes from the cocoon of a silkworm. Since the hatching from the cocoons breaks the threads, the cocoons are placed in boiling water while the silk larvae are still inside. 

Considering that it takes 1700 to 2000 cocoons to make a single silk dress, we were not ready to pay such a high ethical cost. 

Instead, we turned to peace or Ahimsa silk. Ahimsa means non-violent in Hindu and it stands for a process that lets the silkworm live its full life cycle. Once the animal turns into the silk moth and leaves, the empty cocoons are picked up and processed. Because the natural process of breaking out of the cocoon breaks the threads, the processing of Ahimsa silk is harder, slower, and more expensive. Nevertheless, we believe that every life, no matter how big or small, is meaningful and valuable.

Our certified bamboo and peace silk blend are woven on handlooms and power looms by our partners in India. Our fabric is naturally dyed and finally sewn into garments by our in-house makers in Los Angeles. 

Despite the long path we needed to travel to create it, we are proud to bring a collection that celebrates slowing down and the art of discovering the treasures around us. We recognized this in the rich world of the Caribbean, where we drew the design inspiration from.

Immerse yourself in the Caribbean world

The Resort ’22 collection combines the luxurious, textured, and gentle fabric with the breeze of the summer evening. The garments come with wrinkles to create depth and give a more structured look, without sacrificing the lightness of it. The mix of peace silk with the bamboo creates a subtle shine accentuated by sunlight, which reminds us of the glow of a slow-fading sunset.

We translated the lush shades of sunset pinks, ocean blues, papaya oranges, and palm greens to the pieces that fold and move smoothly with the body. The collection brings relaxed and tailored silhouettes at the same time. This is to recreate both the laid-back look of the Jamaican beaches and the vibrant style from the streets of Cuba. The pieces are meant to be mixed and matched so that you can adapt them depending on your needs.

This is your invitation to immerse yourself in the world of the Caribbean and embrace the joy of nature that is around you.