the process is very time-consuming, with skill and patience woven into every stitch
STORIES · 12.05.24
Craft | Events | Mindful Living | Sustainability
London Craft Week starts today – an annual celebration of exceptional craftsmanship and creativity from around the world. With it, I am proud to be launching two special Bamford collaborations; both highlighting India’s rich heritage of textile handicrafts which I have been in awe of ever since I first visited this incredible country in my twenties.
Those of you who have been following me for a while may be familiar with Nila already – a centre of excellence I opened in Jaipur in 2019 that is dedicated to honouring and preserving India’s handloom traditions across the entire supply chain, from farm through to fabric. It aims to support artisans across the country, offering a dynamic platform for cultural and artistic exchange.
Today we launch Nila’s fourth handwoven clothing collection, featuring lightweight cotton, beautiful zero-waste accessories and textiles that showcase highly-skilled traditional embroidery techniques. I particularly love our Jamdani pieces; super fine hand-loomed cotton with patterns intricately inlaid into the fabric by adding denser threads to fine warp threads. The process is very time-consuming, with skill and patience woven into every stitch as Nila honours its commitment to championing slower methods of production and favouring quality over quantity. Red is an auspicious colour in Rajasthan, so to me, this vibrant thread running through the collection is a reminder of happy celebrations and pujas, where your forehead is often marked with a red kumkum ‘tikka’ of the very same colour.
Nila aims to support artisans across the country, offering a dynamic platform for cultural and artistic exchange
Alongside Nila’s collection, it is a pleasure to showcase Bamford’s exclusive collaboration with Injiri – a sustainably-minded label that was founded by my brilliant friend, textile designer Chinar Farooqui. Inspired by the delicate beauty of wisteria flowers, I just love the soft pastel hues and flowing fabrics that run throughout the collection, with each piece crafted using a mixture of traditional Indian hand-weaving, embroidery and block printing.
I have known Chinar for many years. We share a similar aesthetic and a passion for Indian handmade textiles, so it is a joy to be welcoming her alongside Anuradha Singh of Nila House to showcase their collections in London. Both will take part in an intimate conversation with Vogue India’s Akanksha Kamath this Thursday, exploring the intricacies of Indian craft across textile creation, natural dyes, sustainable production methods and much more.
If you would like to join our event on Thursday 16th May, you can book your ticket here, or to shop both collections please click here to find Bamford’s online store. I will leave a video showing a glimpse behind-the-scenes of how we designed Nila’s collection on my Instagram page.
