The Future of Fashion series brings you interviews with emerging designers, from across the globe, who The New Edit believe will be the leading voices of Fashion in the Future.

Ahmedabad, India

FUTURE OF FASHION: THE DESIGNER SHORT

Msafiri which means traveller is an Indian brand based in Ahmedabad.  The designer Saanya Khatwani believes in slow fashion and creates beautiful, easy to wear and timeless pieces.  Every collection is based on a travel story in a new part of India where Saanya finds unique craftsmanship, traditions and aesthetics. Along with a zero waste policy, Msafiri strives to create ethical relationships with the craftsmen, weavers and artisans. Every garment is breathable, handmade, sustainable and made with love. It is the designers ability to create classic, versatile silhouettes in exceptional quality whilst being committed to having an ethical and sustainable label which makes Msafiri The Future of Fashion.

FUTURE OF FASHION: THE INTERVIEW

Your background is in Science. What made you switch to fashion and why did you choose the name Msafiri?  I grew up watching my grandmother and mother handcraft outfits for all the kids in the house - I was inspired by their passionate love for detail.  I was inclined towards design ever since and although I tried my hand at engineering school for a year, I eventually went on to study design and merchandising.  I adore textiles and all things handmade, and I've loved travelling, discovering, and experimenting with all kinds of weaves, prints, natural dyes and hand embroideries across the country.  Msafiri means ‘traveler’ and that was part of the inspiration that led to the brand.  I wanted to travel, to find and to cherish the distinct skills and textile traditions that are present all over India.

What or who inspires your design?  Every collection we work on is based on our travel stories to a new place with its unique craftsmanship, traditions, and aesthetic.  For me, the most exciting part is discovering places that house generations of weavers and artisans creating magic using age-old techniques. It is the stories, the tradition and culture around these crafts that inspire Msafiri.

What are the key values of your brand?  Breathable, sustainable, and handmade are the key tenets that shape Msafiri.  Together those things represent our ideology. It was important to focus on ethical ways of production and sourcing from craftsmen.  It had to be done with love.  We also wanted to involve the end-user into a quest for sustainability - by building things that would last, that would be versatile.

Who wears Msafiri? Who do you design for?  Msafiri is for anyone who admires handmade textiles, someone who wants to be chill but well put together.  Someone who is comfortable in their skin and a lover of classic silhouettes, drapes and quality.

“We make a lot of clothes that can be styled multiple ways because we are encouraging our customers to have higher quality pieces that are versatile, instead of being lured by fast-fashion”

What is your design process?  Our design process is basically finding balance between the old and the new.  Msafiri is traditional weaving and printing as well as contemporary designs.  It's as much sarees, kurtas as it is skirts, shirts, culottes, or dresses.  We like to work on elements that have a story to tell.  We travel across the length and breadth of our country, meet local artisans' and get to know their craft.  Every fabric we use is handwoven, hand embroidered, hand printed.  We ensure zero waste by recycling leftover patterns and trimmings into embellishments, accessories and even paper for tags and labels. 

What are your ambitions for the brand?  We want the brand to scale but stay true to its roots, to be a curious and evolving voice in the movement towards mindful consumption and sustainable practices. 

In what ways is Msafiri sustainable. Why is sustainability important in fashion? We believe sustainability is a way of conscious living - so we try to follow sustainable practices in everything we do.  We built only very fair and ethical relationships with the weavers and craftsmen we work with.  We use fabrics made of only natural fibres and dyes that are biodegradable.  We recycle our waste fabric into accessories and paper as part of our zero waste policy.  We make a lot of clothes that can be styled multiple ways because we are encouraging our customers to have higher quality pieces that are versatile, instead of being lured by fast-fashion - which is full of exploitative labour practises and wasteful over-consumption.

“We have to choose to be better ambassadors for something we love so much by being cognizant of the damage it has done around us”

What have been the biggest challenges you have faced as a designer?  Starting up as a solo female traveler has been challenging, yet rewarding.  Plus since sustainability is not a goal for many companies, many customers are still not used to slow-fashion and are price sensitive towards handmade or fair-trade products.

How can The New Edit help?  The New Edit can help initiate conversations to a community that values and admires the craft and aspire to make conscious choices.

What do you think the future of fashion is?  The future is finding the balance between the old and the new.  It is figuring out how to go from where we are to where we need to be. We have to think about our roots, about going local, handmade. About being better consumers, better recyclers.  We have to choose to be better ambassadors for something we love so much by being cognizant of the damage it has done around us.  We have to use technology for better things than just super-fast production.  Sustainability can’t be another marketing ploy, it has to become a way of life.

By Sahil Mallik, July 2020

Check out our recent interview with VAAI,  BASMA,  ARSHYS, Daniel Pascal Tanner, Shivangi Sahni and Rose Danford-Phillips to learn more about the talented designers from The New Edit's Future of Fashion series.