Woven stories
What we prize is clothing with stories. Stories bring people and communities together and ties us to our rich past and illustrious future. That story might be about a solitary woman, a place, a photograph.. Whatever the case, we plan our approach to design based on that story.
All of our designs are drawn by hand, from kurta and pants to intricate floral patterns. Look closely at hand-drawn designs and you can always see a certain cheerful irregularity. These out of seam designs is what gives each cloth- beauty and character- or what we call “Araayeh-ness”.
Down to the last fibre
In days gone by, there were no handy machines or artificial fibres. The clothes people made had to be richly functional, born of wisdom of handicraft and pride in a job well done. Garments were handed down as people outgrew them, and when they finally got too old to use, they were cut up and reswen into quilted floorcloths to use some more.
We look very closely at the textiles we encounter- how individual threads are organised, how the sewing is accomplished- and use this information into our work. Every last fibre is reused to make textile jewellery to ensure near zero waste, a small token to our mother Earth. There is so much we can learn from those who came before us. Their culture of letting nothing go to waste is an inheritance we prize. (that is what our brand name stands for Araayeh- to make something look more beautiful)
The challenge
The things we want don’t exist anywhere else. This is how we came up with our philosophy of Araayeh: to make something or someone look beautiful.
We love garments that are frank and filled with textures- that make the power of the raw handmade materials tangible. We visit artisanal workshops all over India to learn from their traditional handicraft methodologies. We make clothes with a certain elegance and refinement. Above all, we adore clothes that simply feel good to wear.
The challenge of Araayeh’s philosophy is never ending due to its infinitude.
Our Founder
Araayeh is the brain child of Nandini Kedia Sheth, who founded the company in 2017. Her design aesthetics bridge traditional handcraft techniques and contemporary styling. The designs resonate an effortless style that remain unfettered by seasons and are suited to all age groups.
Araayeh is a Persian word which means to make somebody or something look more beautiful. At heart it is defined as practical and fun aesthetic that adapts easily to different contexts globally.