Tell us a bit about yourself.

The Indian in me is at heart a maximalist and will always remain connected with elegant excess; no easy task, given the present fetish for minimalism. The idea is to focus on retaining the quintessentially Indian high texture aesthetic, using traditional craft skills to create a completely modern appeal, with a touch of surprise and newness.
Now with an experienced eye and a flair for lifestyle businesses, a desire and motivation to go global, and belief in Indian heritage, I have set out to focus on our unique Indianness with global relevance through conscious and inclusive business practices to promote Indian artisanal craft heritage.

Why did you become a maker? Why is making so important to you?

Education at the best design and business institutes in India, industry experience with stalwarts in fashion, and years of witnessing and contributing to mindless consumerism made me realise the horror of it all. Currently on my sustainability journey by adapting circularity through mindful design, conscious production and closed loop consumption.

As strong believers in sustainable design and working with communities, we explore wardrobe and home staples, through the pursuit of innovation alongside the use of India’s indigenous textiles; modern tailoring that includes a respect for the provenance of craft, an awareness of individual purpose and a responsibility towards fair business practices.

How did you begin Chambray & Co.?

Established in 2015, Chambray & Co. is a brand working towards creating truly contemporary products combining Indian craft skills and modern aesthetics in our design language to create international appeal. Started with a passion for contemporary expression of Indian traditions, our brand ethos emerged from this passion, and from an intuitive perspective on ‘artisanal clothing’, making a larger, yet deeply personal, statement through every piece, every detail.
 
What is the story behind your brand name?

Chambray, a plain woven textile is most simply defined as a fabric with a white weft (filler thread) woven using a coloured warp (background thread). We build our transitional design philosophy on this interweaving of opposites, deep-rooted history with modern concepts, traditional without the defined heaviness and contemporary with a hearty helping of culture.
 
How has your business evolved over the years?

At Chambray & co. we always ensure that our products look more editorial than environmental, and could easily be seen in a high-fashion magazine. We don’t want to create a line of products that are created only for ‘serious social activists’ or ‘hippie tree huggers’. Rather, our designs resonate with a discerning urban crowd and have the potential to go mainstream. We don’t want them in just high end boutiques, or be extremely niche. They are designed to be commercially viable products and a lot of fun!

Your work space & the artisans you work with.

Inspired by nature and captivated by the city, we tell a story of a lifestyle which embodies a connectedness and balance with the natural world through our products. One that speaks of and for artisans, their skills and challenges; of consumers who know how it feels to pay it forward.

At Chambray & Co. craft producers are involved at all levels of the production chain from sourcing material or weaving and dyeing fabrics, to product development and quality control of the final product.
 
Chambray & Co intends to empower women in communities of Gujarat where, in the comfort of their homes, the women can use basic forms of Indian embroidery which are not only easy to learn but also less time consuming to execute. They use these skills to upcycle and to add value, recycle and prolong the life cycles of apparel, home and lifestyle products. We celebrate the versatility of the textile crafts while reminding the craftswomen of their roots and reviving their skills of needle work, while tapping their inherent expertise and natural inclination of attention to detail.
 
Your favorite work tool.

The pen and the needle are my two favorite work tools.
 
What is currently on your work table?
My laptop, my design journals, some swatches of fabrics, some samples of embroideries, lots of stationery, a hot cup of rosehip tea.

What is your personal favorite pick from your Chambray & Co. right now?
And why?

My personal favourite is ‘Jane’ from our ODE collection. I personally love the statement sleeves with and the intense fagoting detailing in this style.
 
What are your displaying at the By Hand, From The Heart.

We are showcasing our trans-seasonal resort collection ‘ODE- Some people are artists, some themselves are art.’ A collection of easy separates made using fabric manipulation and delicate detailing.