Bahama Hand Prints was established in Nassau, The Bahamas in1966 by artists Helen Astarita and Berta Sands. On a trip to the Florida Keys, the two visited a small factory in Key West where they observed fabric being hand printed, using silk-screens. So impressed were they by the procedure and the spectacularly coloured fabrics produced, that they decided to start their own company back in The Bahamas. Helen and Berta were enthusiastic and quickly mastered the techniques involved in making silk screens, mixing the inks, hand printing the fabric, designing and sewing the final products. Today, Bahama Hand Prints is a small factory and boutique where the tradition of hand screen-printing continues under the ownership of Bahamian Alannah van Onselen, who purchased the company in 2018. While the signature style of Bahama Hand Prints began with Helen and Berta, and can be seen in our collection of vintage designs, it continues to evolve. From the printing table, our fabric is used to create garments and accessories, which are developed in-house, crafted by our talented sewing team and introduced as a New Collection each Fall. The Boutique
In August 2012, Bahama Hand Prints opened its newly renovated boutique where vivid colours, captivating prints and fine fabrics are combined in our collection of garments, bags and home accessories. Our new Fabric Room is a colourful and inspiring space, containing a wide variety of fabrics available by the yard for home design and other projects. Custom Printed Fabric
At Bahama Hand Prints, fabric may also be custom printed to the customer’s specifications. A print can be chosen from our repertoire of designs and hand printed in the colour or colours desired, on any one of the ground fabrics we offer, including cotton poplin, twill, cotton-linen blends, linen and outdoor fabric. To learn more, please visit our Custom Printing page. We Welcome Visitors
Visitors are welcome to drop-in at the factory and watch our printers at work. It is a thrilling experience to observe yards of plain fabric being transformed into colourful art, with designs that capture the beauty of The Bahama Islands.
