Seeing the gathers of a dress frolic amidst a field of green grass is one of those moments for Sahana where life comes full circle. This is where the inspiration for a collection is born, in the thick of untouched beaches and nature. It is a beautiful blend of cultures between Byron Bay Australia and India, combining aesthetics with heritage art to produce an expression through clothing.
At Sahana, what we create is so much more than just a collection of clothing. It is a self portrait of our designer’s memoir of travels, our slow living philosophy. It starts with inspiration then discussions with our textile designer, Fatima. We play with yarn, textures, colours and cuts over warm cups of tea through multiple hours of brainstorming until it feels right. Our inspiration is constantly evolving as the seasons unfold their magnanimous moods.
After an initial round of scoping, we work with experienced dyers to sample and bring envisioned colors to life. Each part of India’s weaving community offers differing techniques of dyeing, spinning and weaving. The way their skills and artistic expression changes demographically is a beautiful reminder of how unique each individual is - a thought that Sahana hopes to carry through its handmade clothes. It takes months to produce our first sample fabric after rounds of iterations to perfect it.
We take our design inspiration from our community. Keeping the wonderful women who wear Sahana in mind, designing and sketching the collection is a simultaneous process with textile sourcing. We bring in a mix of our most loved styles and a breath of fresh air to experiment with new cuts, embellishments and fabric buttons until the right look is created. Series of fits and drape checks with the right textile and the beautiful construction, it is rewarding to see our designs from paper to practice. Packaged in biodegradable materials or off cut fabric bags, we ensure that our garments reach you in their best form, without harming the earth.
Photographing our clothes, highlighting the right feel is an important part of our creative process. We spend weeks testing different locations, finding pieces of nature that fit seamlessly into our designs that feel true to our ethos. Blurring the lines between handmade and nature - as we believe they are one. Images we create are then compiled into a lookbook, proudly showcasing our collection.
Needless to say, all of what we do at Sahana is backed by a supportive and hard-working team. Based in Delhi, Udaipur, West Bengal, our team has shared an understanding of our foundation of sustainability, and holds it to the highest of standards. We work well together with our crosspoint of core values, striving to promote slow-living. One of the biggest reasons synchronous to our personalized touches that each customer can ask for, Sahana collections embrace nature, design, and people.