''From cotton and craft to memory and meaning, carrying stories into every page''
OUR STORY
At Inka we’ve always believed that a notebook is more than pages bound together it is a reflection of who we are, a quiet space for thoughts, memories, and ideas. Each one carries its own spirit, shaped by the fabric that wraps it and the hands that brought it to life.
Inka is more than a notebook; it is a companion. Each piece is wrapped in fabric chosen for its story, its texture, its life. We blend timeless craftsmanship with contemporary design, using only materials that carry depth and presence.
No two notebooks are ever the same. Each cover holds subtle variations in fabric and weave, carrying traces of the journey that brought it to your hands. Every piece contains its own history, waiting to meet yours.
This isn’t just a notebook. It’s fabric, memory, and soul - woven, bound, and brought to life by Inka.
CRAFTED BY HAND
Every notebook is assembled entirely by hand, using techniques that ensure durability and character. The covers are made from 100% cotton fabric, chosen for strength, flexibility, and its ability to age beautifully. Some are created through traditional shibori dyeing, where patterns are formed by folding, binding, and immersion. Others use cotton woven in a waffle structure, valued for its depth of texture and tactile appeal.
Among the most special pieces are those dyed with natural indigo - a pigment extracted from plants and prepared through a complex fermentation process. Natural indigo is rare today, as it requires time, skill, and deep knowledge to achieve its characteristic depth of color. Each vat produces shades that cannot be replicated synthetically, making every indigo cover truly unique.
Inside, the pages are made from reclaimed cotton shirts, giving them a dense, thick feel that resists ink bleeding and enhances the writing experience. From fabric preparation to final binding, every stage emphasizes precision and respect for materials - resulting in notebooks that are technically reliable and visually distinct.
OUR PARTNERS
Inka is the result of many hands and many encounters. Around Jaipur, we work with partners who carefully source the fabrics that wrap our notebooks. Some of the most distinctive covers come from shibori cloth and natural indigo produced in small villages outside the city - a process that took time, patience, and countless visits to find the right people and techniques.
The notebooks themselves are assembled by artisans who have been binding paper for generations, following the traditional methods of Sanganer, long regarded as some of the finest in India. Their expertise ensures that each notebook is strong, precise, and made with integrity.
Sustainability is woven into these collaborations. Fabrics are sourced in limited runs rather than mass production, and the pages are created from reclaimed cotton shirts, reducing waste while giving the notebooks their distinctive thickness and feel. Each partnership reflects a commitment to preserving craft while respecting the resources that make it possible.
WHO WE ARE
Inka was founded by Hugo and Elias, two young designers from Brussels with a shared passion for discovering places where tradition still speaks through craft. What began as a fascination with journeys off the beaten path soon became a commitment: to give voice to artisans whose work holds centuries of history, yet often remains unseen.
India became their natural destination - a land of extraordinary cultural heritage, where each region carries techniques refined over generations. In the villages around Jaipur, they encountered shibori dyers, indigo masters, and block printers whose skills are increasingly threatened by industrial production.
From these encounters grew the idea of creating notebooks that would carry these traditions forward in a form people everywhere can use and cherish. A notebook - simple, everyday, and universal - became the perfect vessel. By reimagining it with handwoven cotton, reclaimed pages, and fabrics dyed with rare natural indigo or shiburi, they created an object that tells two stories at once: that of the artisan who made it, and that of the person who writes within it.
Inka is their way of bridging worlds - connecting Brussels and Jaipur, tradition and design, memory and modern life - so that ancient skills continue to thrive while new stories are written every day.
