spring 2013
women's collection
men's collection
accessories
dosa spring 2013
I first started frequenting India’s khadi shops in the 1990s, poring over endless stacks of hand woven fabrics and collecting them by the armload. Everywhere, I would see simple checkered cotton fabrics known as gamcha, which men used as a do-it-all kerchief: scarf, head wrap, towel. Remembering the blue-and-white gamcha slung around the necks of rickshaw drivers, I asked Mr. Biswas and his weavers to reproduce it in the traditional manner – hand spun and hand woven in 100% cotton, the way I used to find it off the shelf until shops gave way to inferior, machine-made versions. With this everyday Indian men’s fabric, I thought the time was right to introduce our first men’s group - something I’ve been asked to do for many, many years. “Twins” was inspired by what I’ve observed with longtime couples. Over time, the pair begins to look alike, dress alike, and in some aspects become the other’s double. In much the same way, this is how our collection evolved: fabrics and styles derived one from the other but still remaining distinctly individual. The women’s group makes subtle references to the artist Ruth Asawa - the loose shape of a blouse a nod to her personal style, embroidery stitches an echo of her woven wire sculptures. In both groups, hand finished details impart a homespun feel, as if a loved one had cared for the clothes.