See these dresses in our short film "love or..."Ticket to Ikkat: Travel to India by way of Ikkat, an ancient weaving technique with multiple avatars all throughout Asia. This collection of dresses features the saris of Orissa, India, home to a 2000 year-old history of Ikkat weaving. The woven motifs of the fabrics feature the ubiquitous triangular temple borders, and the bhomkai chakras, an homage to the great Sun temple of Konark. All dresses are made of 100% silk and/or cotton and have been sourced from textile cooperatives outside Bhubhaneshwar.  These weaving centers ensure the survival of this ancient tradition and support the artisans who pass the torch of their craft from one generation to the next.

This collection is available for purchase in the shop.

“SHIFT BY SWATI” is a colorful line of dresses and tops featuring the classic grace of Swati’s signature style and the comfort of modal jersey. These effortlessly elegant and easy to wear pieces draw from a color palette inspired by the American Southwest, and feature hand embroidery and traditional Indian block prints, magnified and silk-screened by hand. “SHIFT BY SWATI” is assembled in a factory in New Delhi, India with comfortable working conditions where employees receive fair wages and are paid overtime.

The Fall/Winter collection, Novella, is Argade’s “story” of Indian historical and Western literary influences in her work. Neo-Victorian silhouettes provide a backdrop for ancient Indian architecture, hand-woven textile prints and embroidery. Argade says, “The kind of woman I envision wearing these clothes is interested in travel, history and the sophisticated expression of cross-cultural experiences in her personal style.” The result is: long quilted coats of Italian wools embroidered with iconic New York skyscrapers behind Indian temple facades; soft velvet and corduroy coats lined with indigo dyed block-printed cotton quilting; warm, wool dresses with empire waists and tiny cap sleeves; button-up wool and herringbone suits with velvet paneling; and blouses with distinctive cuts that evoke traditional Indian attire worn with knee-length skirts or classic slacks.

Bengali Girl is an ode to the ageless elegance and ancient textiles of West Bengal, India. It recalls the feminine, modern glamour of 1950s black-and-white Bollywood cinema, and infuses it with colors inspired by nature’s bountiful landscape. Bengali weavers have been hand-weaving the silks and linens featured in this collection for centuries. The production of "garad" silk was at a standstill prior to the launch of Bengali Girl in 2006. Buying cooperative silks and cotton support age old traditions and help further their development.

Belle Khadi features cooperative fabrics like tusser silk, ikkat and Matpalli cotton, hand woven in villages in Eastern India. During India’s struggle for independence, freedom fighters wore khadi – a Hindi word for hand-made -- woven from homespun yarn to boycott colonial textiles. Wearing cooperative textiles helps support local economies and keeps these indigenous art forms alive.

Stargazer meditates on the idea that we must look ahead while remembering our past. Stargazer conjures a flapper on the starship enterprise, a maritime astronaut, a kiss between the past and present, an expression of now. The collection consists of antique temple sari silks, brocades and embroidery techniques evoking classic elegance and modern sophistication.