January 2020 Edition Apparel January 2020 issue | Page 56

a wider pool of craftsmen. By involving more
humans than machines, we can revive the faith
of the Indian artisan in the fashion industry, teach
and involve their future generations in the same
craft, and thereby help to increase its longevity. At
Taaka, all our embroidery is done by pure human
effort; no machine is used in the making of these
pieces of art on textiles.
WHAT IS YOUR DESIGN PHILOSOPHY?
Our design philosophy is to make clean clothing
that brings about the beauty of even a single
stitch that is put in place. The fabric is rich and
combined with simple lines and clean cuts,
enhancing the beauty of the textile all the more.
Our silhouettes are timeless, and we want each
piece of Taaka to be treated as an heirloom.
WHO OR WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
India—for centuries, India has been a melting pot
of many cultures and its artisanal produce has
flourished over time. My travels across the world
have further sensitised me to the need for us to
showcase our strengths and be proud of it. Our
international friends, whom I have seen value
Indian craft, have been an important part of my
learning and understanding of Indian textiles and
the fact that we need to bring back the glory of
India first to India. From our thread to packaging,
every detail of Taaka is made in India.
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I APPAREL I
January 2020
YOUR COLLECTIONS HAVE RATHER
UNUSUAL NAMES. WHY IS THAT SO?
Our clothes are a lot more than a means to
cover and protect the body. Our work speaks
of the richness of the land, invoking the feeling
of being one with nature. One Clover and a
Bee, our first collection, is inspired from poetess
Emily Dickinson, who writes about how we may
not need too much to build on our dreams,
supporting our concept of reducing the burden
on nature by curbing overconsumption. Similarly,
our festive range KARI honours kaarigars
(craftsmen) of the world, not just in textiles
but in any painstaking art that requires to be
continuously created by hand.
PLEASE TELL US ABOUT THE MINDFUL
MEASURES THAT ARE EMPLOYED AT
TAAKA CLOTHING.
Our non-toxic production cycles include minimum
machine-intervention, making our carbon
footprint lower with every improved process. Our
waste-management resources include the usage
of textile waste that is reproduced as upcycled
products such as bags, baskets, books, key
rings, etc. We are constantly empowering our
workforce through knowledge about business
and transparency in methodology. We focus on
consuming 100 per cent, easily biodegradable
materials—from packaging to reducing multiple