Antik Batik grew out of a idea of Gabriella Cortese, Italian by birth, Parisian by choice, and citizen of the world. Her Hungerian grandmother taught her the precious art of embroidery. At eighteen, in a little like the old tradition of the Grand Tour, Gabriella moved to Paris, where she was fascinated by the night-life. In a continual search for inspiration, she decided to embark on the Silk Road. In Bali she fell in love with the ancient art of printing on silk, batik, and began to create her first line of sarongs: Antik Batik. In India she explored other types of techniques, such as bandhani embroidery, which became the basis of her blouses and kaftans. The brand Antik Batik started in 1992 and is the harmonious synthesis of all her journeys, a refined and luxurious symbol of a style that is ethno-chic, cosmopolitan and sensual.