It’s not typically that the dream to start out one’s personal enterprise, when nonetheless in faculty, comes true. For faculty mates-turned-business companions Shaoni Ray and Sahil Meenia, it’s fairly the alternative.
Whereas learning at Nationwide Institute of Vogue Know-how, New Delhi, the duo discovered themselves interning in Kolkata (at Shaoni’s mom’s boutique, Warp and Weft) alongside kantha artisans. “We realised the potential of mixing conventional methods with trendy design. With no formal plan or sources, we launched a menswear model on Instagram, and created a 30-piece assortment throughout the internship,” says Shaoni, 24, model director. Weeks of brainstorming led to the identify Hindostan Archive, a tribute to the “subcontinent’s pre-Partition unity earlier than and through British rule in India”.
With Sahil’s roots tracing again to Pakistan, and Shaoni’s to Bangladesh, the duo needed to reclaim that sense of unity and discover the interconnected textile legacies of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. “I realised there was a dearth in handmade, designer put on, particularly within the West. Traits are altering immediately with males experimenting with colors and cuts. I needed to financial institution on India’s craft heritage, and utilizing my artisan contacts, I lower out the middlemen,” says Sahil, 24, the model’s artistic director.
An outfit from ‘Indian Summers’
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Particular Association
When the designers visited Shaoni’s ancestral village Gangarampur, West Bengal, close to the Indo-Bangladesh border, they shot their first assortment . “In my household house, we discovered previous kantha blankets handcrafted by my great-grandmother earlier than the Partition. She had meticulously stitched collectively scraps of lovely silk materials to create the quilts. We had been working with artisans in Shantiniketan, however discovering the blankets blew us away,” says Shaoni, including that the blankets seemed just like Japanese boro stitching, which additionally promotes mending. They introduced one in every of these heirloom blankets again to Kolkata, which was the seed for Hindostan Archive.
An outfit from ‘Indian Summers’
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Particular Association
“Recognising the parallels between kantha and boro, we envisioned reworking this conventional craft into one thing trendy. This led to the creation of our first silk patchwork kantha jacket. Sahil additional enhanced the design by lining it with my mom’s checked pure silk sari that she hand-painted,” she says of the model’s first design that was finally acquired by a non-public textile collector.
An outfit from ‘Indian Summers’
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Particular Association
The designers are actually out with their newest assortment, Indian Summers, that attracts from “the fleeting fantastic thing about a late summer time”. Forgotten crafts and uncommon methods from Gujarat equivalent to pakko, Rabari and suf embroidery, Bhujodi weaving, and kharek, have been reimagined onto ethereal silk shirts, outsized denim jackets, and tailor-made kurtas. “It’s about honoring India’s craft legacy whereas making it relatable immediately,” says Sahil, of the vary in summery shades of turmeric yellow, indigo, burnt orange, and moss inexperienced.
“Standout items that we’re pleased with embrace a black denim jacket dyed naturally with iron rust, adorned with silver ghungroos alongside the seams, and a bandhani ceremonial shirt impressed by Gujarati bridal put on, layered with hues of pink, white, and yellow. We additionally used natural kala cotton, khadi, and mashru silk, making certain every bit is handmade with care, some taking weeks to finish.”
Outfits from ‘Indian Summers’
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Particular Association
He additional says that they work with crafts rooted in India’s numerous regional clusters equivalent to Kashmir’s pashmina weaving, Rajasthan’s dabu, Bengal’s kantha, and so on. “Every assortment highlights a mixture of well-known crafts (like ajrakh) and lesser-documented ones (like Rabari patchwork or kharek), making certain we steadiness consciousness with discovery. In Indian Summers, we paired Gujarat’s Bhujodi weaves that includes motifs like popati (triangle) and chaumukh (a four-sided sample) to create a dialogue between pastoral storytelling and up to date design, he says, explaining how methods are by no means altered, however their utility is reimagined.
Outfits from ‘Indian Summers’
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Particular Association
Natural and handwoven materials equivalent to kala cotton, khadi, pashmina, pure dyed denim, silk, and linen are used, alongside pure dyes derived from turmeric, myrobalan, pomegranate rind, mud, and indigo. “All textile waste is repurposed, suppose upcycled linings, stuffed equipment, or patchwork totes, to minimise landfill contribution. We give attention to creating timeless, sturdy items designed to outlast developments, as a result of sustainability begins with consuming much less,” says Shaoni.
The model’s androgynous silhouettes of jackets, relaxed trousers, and outsized shirts discovered takers amongst girls too
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Whereas Hindostan Archive is a menswear label, over time, their androgynous silhouettes of jackets, relaxed trousers, and outsized shirts discovered takers amongst girls too. “This natural shift led us to consciously label these items as unisex to replicate their common attraction,” says Shaoni, including that they may launch their first devoted womenswear assortment in A/W 2025.
An outfit from ‘Indian Summers’
| Picture Credit score:
Particular Association
The duo is now exploring textiles in India’s northeastern areas and collaborating with native artisans to reinterpret conventional methods like backstrap loom weaving and pure dyeing. “Our upcoming collections will highlight these textiles throughout varied classes, together with knitwear, cardigans, denim, and womenswear. We’re additionally growing a line of equipment. To us, heritage isn’t simply saved in museums; it stays alive when individuals put on it, share it, and hold its tales alive,” concludes Shaoni.
Upwards of ₹5,000 on hindostanarchive.com
Revealed – Might 23, 2025 03:27 pm IST