BRAND PROFILE
CONSIDERING THE INCLINATION OF
INDIANS TOWARDS CONSUMING
INDIGENOUS PRODUCTS, WE
BELIEVE THAT THE CRAFTS OF INDIA
HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE.
accessible, and have priced our
garments accordingly.
HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE
YOURSELF FROM YOUR
CONTEMPORARIES?
We, as a brand, do not call ourselves
torchbearers who are all set to revive a particular
craft. Instead, we are creating a space where we
want fashion in the country to be more Indianised.
In doing so, we want to penetrate the wardrobes
of younger generations.
We differentiate ourselves by designing
silhouettes which challenge patriarchy, moral
policing, and the conventional norms of dressing
subscribed to by the Indian society. We want
women to feel free but at the same time, our
designs are not so edgy that they feel out
of place.
DO YOU WORK CLOSELY WITH
WEAVERS? HOW CHALLENGING HAS
THE JOURNEY BEEN?
Our work takes us to myriad places and we deal
with different kinds of people on an everyday
basis, including weavers. It gets a little challenging
to work directly with the weavers. However, the
most testing part is to bring life to designs which
are on paper; we overcome this by involving the
weavers in our designing process.
HOW HAS THE RESPONSE TO YOUR
CRAFT BEEN SO FAR?
The response has been nothing less than
overwhelming. People have started noticing us,
and the efforts that we have put in the brand have
been appreciated.
WITH SUSTAINABILITY BECOMING
THE NEED OF THE HOUR, WHAT,
ACCORDING TO YOU, SHOULD THE
FUTURE OF APPAREL BE?
Considering the negative impact of the apparel
industry on the environment, sustainability is
something that every brand must try to imbibe
in its culture. These days, however, the term is
used quite loosely. Our country has a long way
to go to achieve sustainability in the crafts sector
but considering the inclination of Indians towards
consuming indigenous products, we believe that
the crafts of India have a bright future.
DOES THE BRAND HAVE AN
INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE YET?
Selling out of India is in the pipeline, and we
would be going overseas in the coming months.
WHAT IS ON THE CARDS FOR ETAR?
We are planning to go beyond clothing, but in
keeping with the brand’s ethos of sticking to
the roots.
RAPID FIRE
Your favourite fabric: Any hand-spun fabric.
Apparel for you is: Anything which is flowy
and breathable.
What inspires you constantly? When
people buy our products and message us
saying how much they love them—that
keeps us motivated, and helps us to
move forward.
Designing for you is: Projecting my
thoughts onto the fabric.
72
I APPAREL I
June 2019