Six weeks, one skirt
From a fabric market somewhere in India, to my tailor in Mumbai, to my home in Los Angeles — this is everything that happens before a skirt gets a number.
Sourcing
Months, sometimes years of collecting. Fabric markets all across India. My mum’s closet. Friends’ old clothes. Scraps from tailor shops.
My mum, my sister and I go through everything looking for the right prints, colours and combinations - most from centuries-old Indian techniques: Bagru, Sanganeri, Ajrakh, Kalamkari and more. This is the longest part. Everything else is quick by comparison. (It’s still not quick)
Composition
This is where patchwork becomes patchwork. We lay everything out. Rearrange, photograph, sleep on it, scrap it, start again.
Nothing gets cut until the combination feels right - the colours and the prints have to talk to each other.
Cutting & Sewing
The fabrics go to my local tailor in Mumbai. He’s been making clothes for my family for twenty years.
We explain the design, the fit, the vision. Then it’s back and forth until it’s right. He does the cutting and the sewing. No factory, no production line. Each patchwork skirt takes 3-4 days.
Finishing
Every piece is checked before it leaves. Lining, pockets, drawstring. The fit, the finish, the way it falls.
You might notice threads on the inside - that’s what happens when hundreds of pieces of fabric are patched together by hand. It’s not a flaw. It’s proof of the work.
Packing & Shipping
The finished piece travels from Mumbai to my home in Los Angeles. I photograph it, list it and pack it myself.
It’s ready to bloom. Up it goes in the garden and then it finds its person.