Within the boundaries of Indian ensembles, adding her own vivid touch, Arsheen Sabherwal defines her eponymous label with a sparkle of creative intellect. Poised over the balance of silhouette and color palette, the ensembles are a resonance of Indian luxury wear with a modern spin.
Through the sheer flow, the detailed work sifts through sequins, embroidery, and mirrorwork to bring a glaze to a simple fabric. Handpicked fabrics wrap around like a breezy conversation, with the casual ease of a long-standing appreciation.
The unique aesthetic seeps in, enhancing the occasion, and making the outfit a show-stopper for the festive season. The handcrafted designs are deliberately interactive, versatile in their movement, and eye-catching in the structure.
The architecture of the ensembles is a Zaha Hadid reflection, with curves and twists, a meticulously crafted grandeur. Framed in a glamorous adaption and creation, Arsheen Sabherwal refines luxury with a gold plated algorithm, designing the essence of Indian royalty.
A
glimmer of Arsheen Sabherwal introduces the label as a joyous celebration with
a deeper significance behind the scenes.
Ambi by Sujata Pai has a distinct quality of making unique and cherished sarees from the rich heirloom of India. Her vision to showcase Indian textiles with a different eye is threaded through a needle passing through the time it has taken to inculcate this skill into a community of weaver families.
The simplicity of this concept is that it’s homegrown, tracing our roots back to ancient folklore and fables. These are etched into the motifs that are typically used in Ambi sarees- mango motifs, to follow the name, peacock feathers on a breezy pallu, elegant paisley pattern, lotus, and animal motifs. Her home base being Chennai, she herself is a voyager, setting up her printing in Delhi, and empowering weavers from all across the country with specialized local skills that make them unanimous experts in the craft of a particular weave.
The ancient weaves that have traveled from as far as the Byzantine empire are seen in Ambi’s one of a kind piece, embroidered with zari from Kutch mud plains of Gujarat. Ambi brings together fabrics and weaves of fine artistry and craftsmanship with a beautiful movement that creates a singular element to diversity. From the Banaras tradition to mulberry silkworm that has woven light as air Maheshwari silk, the sarees are a poetic eulogy to lost crafts.
The sunsets of South Indian hills fall over one fabric that takes to the Gota Patti work of Rajasthan sand dunes, and in the magic of the desert night, slip to the Bramhaputra with Muga Buta silk, the identity of Assam for a new dawn.
This journey of fabrics is seen in every piece by Ambi, cherishing crafts long borrowed from the 20th century France, antiques of Bali and even so far back as the Persian dynasties, breathing innovation in these threaded creations.
Woven seamlessly into one piece, the fabrics are intuitively in tandem, a dance of hues and patterns that carry the remnants of age-old heritage.
Once framed as the dying art of India, hand block printing has recently gone through a renaissance period, making it to the haute couture boutiques. It is gaining popularity through the fusion of the detailed symmetry of yesteryears and the silhouettes of urban chic ensembles.
At Navya, the past and the future are threaded together; Indian culture edging onto western styles, flourishing in the essence of individuality. Amita Adlakha, the founder of Navya, believes that on Chanderi silk and pure cotton, the added hand embellishments of sequins and beads make the artisans valued work stand out in synchronization with the hand-printed work.
Navya as a brand, endeavors to adorn the hues of Indian artistry, to gather the handmade stories of hand block printing, imprinting them with fresh perspectives.
The recognition of an age-old craft gives the admirer a bright outlook, a better understanding of where this evergreen art comes from.
A collaboration of the old with the new is what Navya stands for. ‘Navya’, a word for this nouvelle mode, suits the brand perfectly as it embodies the technique which has it’s rooted in the salt marshes of Kutch, adopting it on bold and modern silhouettes of today.
Dipped in ink of indigo and iron blend, this printing showcases poetic equilibrium. Using an incredible variety in a single form, their handcrafted design placements create a symphony of lightly layered prints and dark block imprints.
Bringing back to life local Rajasthani craft,
Navya’s design philosophy suggests a vibrant outlook to a classic style.
Priyanka Raajiv is a designer based in Pune who brings ageless culture into the modern world. Her design aesthetic and the clear vision of the architecture of a silhouette is what sets her apart. Moreover, she contributes to promoting the Indian handloom industry since the conception of her label. Her ensembles also hold a badge of responsible fashion.
Upcycled ‘Jod’ saree
She began designing outfits with a ‘Zero Waste’ approach long before the trend began. From the beginning of her labor, she held a certain respect for the fabric she used, and her label saw immaculate precision to avoid waste.
Upcycled ‘Gulaal’ lehenga
Textile experimentation made her work stand out. Incorporating these fabric pieces seamlessly into her new ensembles and, tailor-making new looks take forward an heirloom piece through generations.
Hand-embroidered ‘Pushp’ blouse
The vivid detailing and hand embroidery in every collection showcase the profound thought and effort behind the handspun threadwork so integral to her design philosophy. Her latest collection, Praana, is based on the consciousness that breathes within us, and the understanding that life is a circle, and it grows through nurturing thought and understanding.
Patchwork upcycled ‘Roshan’ lehenga
We are surrounded by this
energy everywhere. It is why spaces affect us; we inhabit our clothes every
day. Praana, the Autumn-Winter 2019 collection is inspired by this collective
energy that we possess and share.
Any waste fabric piece from the studio is put back in the ‘Iraada’ box to be used and integrated into a collection that embodies thoroughly studied design sensibility. This is turned into wardrobe pieces that become essential
Upcycled ‘Ek Jod’ dupatta
In ancient China, there was a
belief that anything broken must be put together using gold. This belief
transcends the very idea of discarding anything.
In our daily stress and hectic schedules we often dismiss our negative thoughts and stagnant mindset. Aspiring to Chi, or Pranayama, the meditative state of understanding oneself, Priyanka Raajiv endeavors to unveil the illusion of separation, putting together seemingly unconnected pieces of fabric together in a puzzle that astounds you with its creativity and diligence.
Fully upcycled ‘Sharad’ Lehenga
Praana is a collection of carefully curated pieces, handcrafted to build a flow out of a mosaic of crude textile weaving and finesse of undiluted design. Upcycled pieces, like dupattas and scarves, become heirlooms in the process of recycling what is old into the artistic element of the new. With painstakingly earned expertise, the repurposed studio textile becomes intuitively structured through intricately embellished handwork.
Patchwork Kishto dupatta
The outfits rejuvenate your mind in with its texture and exquisite drapes and folds. It turns the complexity of fabric patchwork into a singular movement.
‘Resh’ saree with upcycled blouse
Praana at its core symbolizes the metamorphosis of energy forms. From breath to texture, and cold mist to the layers of fabric, it demonstrates that what appears cast aside is, in fact, the same thing in a different form. What appears new and fresh is a deliberate transformation.
This is the transformation that occurs at the Priyanka Raajiv studio with the discarded studio fabric in upcycling every piece.
With a rustic wooden bowl of oil, soft aroma of the essence, a light breeze touching upon fresh flower petals and soothing oriental music…all in a bamboo built room. Like flowing water, your ki or life energy resonates with this exact aura.
In this age of imbalance, climatic disruption and disturbed mind, Reiki pave the path to rejuvenating life. Our earth needs healing, as do we. Combining the two, Reiki brings meaning to the essential intimacy of guided touch.
In the sheer innocence of draping, a hand or a garment, you find your senses blooming, an invigorating joy of belongingness. With plant-based materials- fragmented rose petals, eucalyptus plant, aloe vera, and milk-based layers of cloth, Word handcrafts your connection with nature, to fit your form.
Creating a line of outfits that soothe and evolve around you, inspired by the ancient art of energy healing and sprouting from universal life, Word presents Reiki.
As a culture that has it’s depth and meaning in textiles, we tend to dismiss fashion as haute couture nonsense. Little do we know where it comes from.
In small villages in Maharashtra and Karnataka, local experts in ancient art, are weaving Khunn to create styles that aim to boom internationally. From a fabric that every home in these regions has seen, Vaishali S Studio creates innovative forms with a global appeal.
While we sit in our off the counter, mass-produced lives, she’s bringing back local style, nonchalantly disregarded. Using a sharp needle and wit, she revives Khunn, recoining elegance in thread work. The beauty of the fabric is in imprints narrated in a vocabulary of sun, stars, animals, and diamonds. Homespun threadwork is rhythmic, a clock turning back time, breathing life into this dying fabric with each handloom’s motion.
Taking this textured design, Vaishali S Studio gives it a signature touch: wearable art. Building a new-age sensibility, they intellectually shape silhouettes to change the way your wardrobe designs your lifestyle. Beyond aesthetic, drapes and folds in sheer grace, defines the architecture of their garments.
In global identities that we
forge so easily, our individuality is often left stranded. And subtle art is
never fanatic; it aims to merge, to blend the traditional into a worldview that
attracts a wider audience.
Vaishali S Studio is making a humble attempt to give voice to old local stories in a world where everything is freshly trending. In this endeavor, each feather-light thread becomes heavier, not as a burden but as a memory, Khunn, becoming a requiem for tomorrow.
Founded in the chaos of Starbucks-hopping and millennial reality, Ploti is a bunch of whiz artists, savoring moments with a touch of quirky creativity. Our love for minimalistic aesthetic and beige precedes our reputation; to say the least, we’re a bunch of lunatics fanatic about design and brand philosophy.
From a team that fits sweet n’ low in a teaspoon, Ploti, as a concept has a distinctive quality that makes you want to stay and explore. The vibe you get here is tranquil in the weaves that thread us together, genuine in the bricks that have built us a home. Exuding soothing, clean energy, we try to blend simple humanity into an adaptable brand impression.
A fashion & architecture
communications agency, we aim to bring this same delicate balance to our
clients. Our unwavering belief in organic growth and giving a soft feel to hard
edges, makes us value honest work and loyalty above all.
Ploti, beyond a brand, is a connection forged in absurd originality and nestled in coffee-flavored warmth.
Ploti is a community of creative minds pouring their souls into establishing a niche in lifestyle and fashion. Exuding soothing, clean energy, we try to blend simple humanity into an adaptable brand impression.
Shwaas Ploti as a concept took birth through our belief in keeping this humanity behind any process alive and thriving. Keeping the trend to a minimum, and maintaining a sustainably rooted attitude, we, beyond a brand wish to form a community that believes in staying true to grounded principles.
Through this project, we endeavor to guide the labels that are mind crafting the inherent Indian lifestyle, holding their hand and together, bringing forth the unique qualities their designs hold.
When Rutuja Kamble, founder of Ploti, first began thinking of creating this medium for promoting sustainable fashion labels, she held a firm line of principle: organic interaction. We cannot hope to build a community surrounding nature and be concerned with investing in longer lives by not being true to ourselves. She decided to start a new project that would exercise the same philosophy.
There is a delicate balance between humans and nature. The key element in giving voice to today’s sustainable fashion struggle is the strategic research that goes behind understanding textiles, dying processes, and zero waste collections. The labels that staunchly practice this are shaping a mindset towards slow fashion.
Inculcating a sensibility in our business model, we hope to be the teaspoon of sugar in a cup of brewed tea, for our essence is to add to the existing niche of a person and help them grow as they help us with their painstakingly developed qualities. With an unwavering stand on organic growth, we want to share an interactive empathy with both, our employees and our clients.
Dedicating ourselves solely to sustainable brands, we want to make their design ideology an open experience for the layman through creative direction.
Deriving from the spark of connection behind any design concept, we strategically extract the thought behind anything. It’s raw and untouched nature works like sandpaper for our abrasive imagination to expand on our client’s philosophy.
Through connecting the Shwaas community, we endeavor to shed light on the honeycomb of layers in the creation, fabrication, and presentation of new-age responsible fashion.
Ploti is a community of creative minds pouring their souls into establishing a niche in lifestyle and fashion. Exuding soothing, clean energy, we try to blend simple humanity into an adaptable brand impression.
Shwaas Ploti as a concept took birth through our belief in keeping this humanity behind any process alive and thriving. Keeping the trend to a minimum, and maintaining a sustainably rooted attitude, we, beyond a brand wish to form a community that believes in staying true to grounded principles.
Through this project, we endeavor to guide the labels that are mind crafting the inherent Indian lifestyle, holding their hand and together, bringing forth the unique qualities their designs hold.
When Rutuja Kamble, founder of Ploti, first began thinking of creating this medium for promoting sustainable fashion labels, she held a firm line of principle: organic interaction. We cannot hope to build a community surrounding nature and be concerned with investing in longer lives by not being true to ourselves. She decided to start a new project that would exercise the same philosophy.
There is a delicate balance between humans and nature. The key element in giving voice to today’s sustainable fashion struggle is the strategic research that goes behind understanding textiles, dying processes, and zero waste collections. The labels that staunchly practice this are shaping a mindset towards slow fashion.
Inculcating a sensibility in our business model, we hope to be the teaspoon of sugar in a cup of brewed tea, for our essence is to add to the existing niche of a person and help them grow as they help us with their painstakingly developed qualities. With an unwavering stand on organic growth, we want to share an interactive empathy with both, our employees and our clients.
Dedicating ourselves solely to sustainable brands, we want to make their design ideology an open experience for the layman through creative direction.
Deriving from the spark of connection behind any design concept, we strategically extract the thought behind anything. It’s raw and untouched nature works like sandpaper for our abrasive imagination to expand on our client’s philosophy.
Through connecting the Shwaas community, we endeavor to shed light on the honeycomb of layers in the creation, fabrication, and presentation of new-age responsible fashion.
