Three panel midi kaftan in watermelon and red stripe with khaki people design.

Stylist Pippa Holt launched her eponymous line of luxury, hand-crafted kaftans in 2016, celebrating her love of fashion design, textiles, far-flung travel and beautiful, original holiday attire.

Pippa Holt Kaftans

Kaftan No.292

Title

Working closely with Mexican artisans, Pippa Holt has created a range of kaftans using traditional techniques. Featuring a pastel pink and white striped cotton base with pink and burgundy handwoven motifs, Kaftan No.129 exudes feminine chic. Its simple, extra short style makes it a natural wardrobe staple and a versatile piece to wear during hot summer months. Cinch with a coordinating belt, or wear loose for effortless appeal. The pink, burgundy tones are naturally and sustainably derived from the purpura patula pansa, a species of sea-snail, picked off the rocks on the coastline at low tide during the winter months. When the dyers squeeze or blow on the mollusks, they give off a foamy secretion which is rubbed onto a skein of cotton. Although it is initially colourless, contact with the air turns it yellow, green, and ultimately purple. The snails are put back on the rocks after this process, which explains why this resource has not been exhausted after so many centuries.

Kaftan No.129

Former British Vogue Stylist Pippa Holt has collaborated with a community of weavers in Mexico to create a line of  handwoven belts to wear with the kaftans.
Originating in a town called Santo Tomás Jalieza, known as the ‘belt town’, this group has been making belts for many years in techniques passed down from their ancestors. The colourful pieces are handwoven in cotton on a backstrap loom. Master weaver, Abigail, weaves the finest and most intricate of patterns on small looms on her well lit patio. Her work has won national awards.
This is a pre-Hispanic technique that continues to be used without major changes over the centuries. The complexity of the work that can be created on this loom is limited only by the skill of the weaver. The entire loom with the weaving in progress can be rolled up at any time and carried from place to place.
The belts feature depictions of sacred animals, geometry, feather dancers and the animals and plants they see in their daily life, which is interwoven with fine cotton in vibrant details.
The technique of using a backstrap loom consists of securing an end of the loom to a tree or post and the other end to the waist of the weaver, maintaining the tension with the weight of the body, the women sit on straw mats, feet folded, wide leather belts sit on their lower backs, providing hand placement that is conducive to the creation of sophisticated patterns.
* Each belt comes in a handmade clutch bag made from palms.

Belt No.34

Single panel midi kaftan in white with silver metallic design.

Kaftan No.310

Handwoven in weighty lilac and white striped cotton, with multi-coloured woven 'people' motifs, this maxi length limited-edition kaftan makes a unique addition to any summer wardrobe. Based on the midi version of No.66, No.176 takes over two months to make. A true collectors item, the process is explained here in detail by artisan Yuridia who created the piece: “Only very skilled artisans are able to weave this kaftan. The necklines represent the spine of a snake that appears after the rain. The sacred snake represents the rainbow therefore the spine is a rainbow forming the shoulders of the kaftan. No.176 is made with finer thread than other kaftans, so the artisans need to weave with more strength to give the kaftan the thick structure and durability. Each weaver measures out the number of warp threads needed. In this fine striped kaftan the lines they need to count from two to two the threads to make the finest lines; they intercalculate the white and the purple thread until they make 295 pairs of threads. Typically a regular kaftan has the lines 8 threads wide. The motifs are placed in the neckline of the kaftan with no space between them, therefore just very dedicated weavers are able to weave kaftan No.176”.
*Just a handful of Kaftan No.176 are available.

Kaftan No.176

Belt No.81

Pippa Holt has collaborated with artisans to create a line of limited edition kaftans which are handmade on a traditional backstrap loom. Simple and bright, this purple and pink style adds artisan charm to any vacation, for both mother and daughter.

Children's Kaftan No.17

Size

Belt No.15

Pippa Holt's kaftans are handcrafted by artisans using traditional methods and take one month to make. With its distinctive purple design on a white, crisp background this is a versatile staple. The cloth is stiff to touch, which adds to its minimal, architectural aesthetic, making it a sophisticated piece with a feel of the far flung. Its oversized shape means it looks just as great belted, as it does worn loose. The panels of this kaftan are sewn together by hand, often by the men in the community, taking three to four days at a time.

Kaftan No.25

Taking one month to weave, Pippa Holt's kaftans are examples of the finest artisinal craftsmanship. Handwoven by Mexican weavers, this single-panel mini style is brought to life with a cacophony of multi-coloured motifs symbolising the area of the weavers community. Give the look an urban feel with pristine white kicks.

Kaftan No.187

Belt No.47

It is plain to see the influence of Pippa Holt’s upbringing on the Australian tropical shores in Kaftan No. 235. The white tranquil single-panel design is brought into focus with turquoise and blue motifs, evoking oceanic hues. For a pop of extra colour, cinch it at the waist with one of Holt’s classic belts.

Kaftan No.235

Pippa Holt’s iconic ‘Supermini’ kaftan is the ultimate holiday hero. Handmade by Mexican artisan weavers, this three-panel design is crafted from weighty cotton in classic chilli red and black stripes. The bold black embroidery adds a dramatic quality, lending this piece the versatility to be worn on the sand and streets.

Kaftan No.138

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Pippa Holt collaborates with a group of artisans in a remote part of Mexico, together they have created a colourful collection for the beach and the city. It takes one month to make each unique kaftan and, due to the way they are hand-crafted, no two are the same. The watermelon pink No.110, with its duck egg blue design, is a favourite of beach goers and urbanites alike.

Kaftan No.110

Featuring soft green and pink stripes with sublime zig zag detailing on the shoulders and candy coloured motifs, the No.139 exudes understated luxury. Naturally dyed cotton thread is woven into cloth using a backstrap loom, an ancient weaving technique that has been used by generations in this community. The colours of the threads are dyed from natural processes using vegetables and flowers.

Kaftan No.139

Belt No.84

Single panel mini kaftan in grey and neon orange stripe with black zig zag design.

Kaftan No.259

Single panel midi kaftan in white with large multi coloured design.

Kaftan No.69

Single panel 'supermini' kaftan in yellow and white stripe with burgundy design.

Kaftan No.246

Pippa Holt's kaftans are created with ease and versatility in mind - "they pack small, work day and night, on a beach, in a city, with or without a belt," she explains. This terracotta single panel version of No.39 is made from naturally dyed cotton. The terracotta colour is made using splintered oak logs which are soaked in room temperature water for a few days and the boiled for 2-3 hours to produce the dye. It is difficult to find the right bunch of logs which produces the exact shade that is required. Therefore no two kaftans are the same and terracotta kaftans are limited.

Kaftan No.33

Pippa Holt collaborates with artisans to make kaftans that are handmade using traditional techniques . This supermini style in a versatile, easy-to-move-around in length, makes a fun alternative to longer styles. The red and blue motifs on the white base are symbolic in this traditional Mexican community of weavers of family, love and unity.

Kaftan No.96

Former British Vogue Stylist Pippa Holt has collaborated with a community of weavers in Mexico to create a line of handwoven belts to wear with the kaftans. Originating in a town called Santo Tomás Jalieza, known as the ‘belt town’, this group has been making belts for many years in techniques passed down from their ancestors. The colourful pieces are handwoven in cotton on a backstrap loom. Master weaver, Abigail, weaves the finest and most intricate of patterns on small looms on her well lit patio. Her work has won national awards. This is a pre-Hispanic technique that continues to be used without major changes over the centuries. The complexity of the work that can be created on this loom is limited only by the skill of the weaver. The entire loom with the weaving in progress can be rolled up at any time and carried from place to place. The belts feature depictions of sacred animals, geometry, feather dancers and the animals and plants they see in their daily life, which is interwoven with fine cotton in vibrant details. The technique of using a backstrap loom consists of securing an end of the loom to a tree or post and the other end to the waist of the weaver, maintaining the tension with the weight of the body, the women sit on straw mats, feet folded, wide leather belts sit on their lower backs, providing hand placement that is conducive to the creation of sophisticated patterns. * Each belt comes in a handmade clutch bag made from palms.

Belt No.122

Kaftan No.186

Pippa calls this colourful style ‘a joy to wear’. Its rare and textured weave make it a sophisticated piece with a feel of the far flung. The green stripe in the base cloth is derived from Mexican tarragon and produced in small batches - the green dye is one of the rarer colours to achieve as the plant is only collected in Spring time. The men in this remote Mexican community are also involved in helping to hand sew the side panels of this kaftan.

Kaftan No.37

Single panel mini kaftan in navy with black design.

Kaftan No.289

Former British Vogue Stylist Pippa Holt has collaborated with a community of weavers in Mexico to create a line of handwoven belts to wear with the kaftans. Originating in a town called Santo Tomás Jalieza, known as the ‘belt town’, this group has been making belts for many years in techniques passed down from their ancestors. The colourful pieces are handwoven in cotton on a backstrap loom. Master weaver, Abigail, weaves the finest and most intricate of patterns on small looms on her well lit patio. Her work has won national awards. This is a pre-Hispanic technique that continues to be used without major changes over the centuries. The complexity of the work that can be created on this loom is limited only by the skill of the weaver. The entire loom with the weaving in progress can be rolled up at any time and carried from place to place. The belts feature depictions of sacred animals, geometry, feather dancers and the animals and plants they see in their daily life, which is interwoven with fine cotton in vibrant details. The technique of using a backstrap loom consists of securing an end of the loom to a tree or post and the other end to the waist of the weaver, maintaining the tension with the weight of the body, the women sit on straw mats, feet folded, wide leather belts sit on their lower backs, providing hand placement that is conducive to the creation of sophisticated patterns.
* Each belt comes in a handmade clutch bag made from palms.