Gold & Jewels 2023
A fusion line that combines western textiles with Indian silhouettes
I knew before I even started that I wanted to do a fusion line mixing elements from India and the West. What began as a collaboration between Indian textiles and western silhouettes quickly turned into the opposite while fabric hunting. I found western fabrics and shaped them into Indian garments.
The first inspiration for Gold & Jewels was my living room rug, the center image in the mood board. I was drawn to the colors: purples, olives and blues, and also the swirling imagery. I have an obsession with jewelry so I naturally inclined toward gemstones for more color sources. The end result is a deep amethyst, classic sapphire and a natural tourmaline green.
Jacquards and brocade are my absolute favorite fabrics. To me they are the most beautiful works of art fabric can be made to be. The blue diamonds wooly jacquard was the first to catch my eye at the fabric store, and I later realized It resembles the carved grates of many Indian palaces.
In my line I essentially drafted three versions of a tunic: a side slit tunic, a shark bite tunic, and a cropped tunic turned blouse. For the bottoms I mostly went with A-line shaping. A traditional ghagra (skirt), A-line palazzos, and what I call a handkerchief ghagra.
I adore brocades and was determined to find one for my line. At first, it seemed almost impossible to find one that worked with my theme and colors. One day while shopping with my mom, a glint of gold caught her eye. She pulled out the entire bolt and I immediately exclaimed, "Wow! This is the one!".
