Basking in the recent glow of awe and appreciation that House of Chanakya received for its handicraft in Dior’s Haute Couture 2022 scenography and collection, Karishma Swali talks about cultural sustainability, future of Indian fashion and her daughter Avantika’s influence in building MoonRay – a new mindful label – as we dissect its inspiration
By : Tripti Jangpangi
Posted on: January 28, 2022
Very recently, Karishma Swali, the Creative Director of House of Chanakya, and Co-Founder of the luxury label JADE by Monica & Karishma, launched the next generation sustainable fashion house – MoonRay with her daughter Avantika. The mindful fashion label, built in collaboration with the prestigious House of Chanakya, is an eclectic, free spirited, sustainable brand that exudes innovation and compassion.
Going to the origin, the label has sourced its materials adhering to global standards, such GOTS certified jersey, organic cotton, Forest Stewardship Council certified viscose, indigo dyed denim, crochet crafted from recycled threads, a reclaim series crafted from industry waste fabrics, and accessories created with leather made from vegan and plant bases. The minimalist colour palette is combined with exquisite cuts and crafts to present a boho-chic ensemble.
Avantika Swali’s voice of mindful fashion
According to Karishma Swali, “It all began when Avantika’s doodles turned to purposeful illustrations.” Avantika is a young artist and a student - passionate about creating a better tomorrow - one that is filled with purpose - where we are respectful of our planet and all our people which fuelled the vision to be catalysts in creating a community with a collective conscience.
“At MoonRay, we believe accessibility is the key. To drive accessibility and the future of fashion, we need to tap into our roots and our past - a time when things were created slowly, mindfully, and meaningfully - with a naturally sustainable approach and attention to the finest detail."
Avantika & Karishma Swali
Ms. Swali further explained, “We co-founded MoonRay to co-create a conscious fashion brand that tells the story of young artists everywhere through innovation, compassion, and craft. There is of course a natural connection with GenZ; they are a generation that has been entitled with unlimited reach and, given the opportunity, can collectively harness design excellence, inclusion and universal love.”
The MoonRay DNA
“At MoonRay, we believe accessibility is the key. To drive accessibility and the future of fashion, we need to tap into our roots and our past - a time when things were created slowly, mindfully, and meaningfully - with a naturally sustainable approach and attention to the finest detail,” said Ms. Swali. She pointed out while millennials care about a brand's purpose and their approach to the future of our planet, all age groups today are more mindful about their choices and their impact on our planet - a wonderful tomorrow awaits us all if we all do our part! Conscious fashion should not be the exception but the norm. “Letting love be our guiding light to innovate responsibly, we enjoy pushing boundaries to create purposeful fashion for an ever-evolving community,” she says.
A House of Chanakya Collaboration
As co-founder of the Chanakya School of Craft (CSC), the older Ms. Swali has led Chanakya to innovate and create the most refined hand embroideries and craft, collaborating with the most celebrated names in global luxury fashion. From Lanvin to Schiaparelli, House of Chanakya has given life to their creative designers' elaborate visions. This design legacy has helped sharpen the MoonRay vision and build a craft collective collaborating with the enterprising women artisans of the Chanakya School of Craft. Today, the Chanakya School is India’s first not-for-profit centre of excellence, teaching hundreds of under-served women the art of master craft and embroidery.
“While handcraft is revered and appreciated across the world, we feel that it is not as appreciated within our own country. There is so much innate wisdom in craft – it is naturally sustainable, has a near-zero carbon footprint and harbors community while respecting the earth and environment.”
Cultural Sustainability
A unique element in the MoonRay universe is the compelling need to implement holistic solutions for social, economic and environmental issues. The Chanakya Foundation focuses on cultural sustainability and overall development through education, skill development and women's empowerment while investing in the preservation of heritage and promotion of the arts.
At CSC, traditional craftmanship is reinterpreted in contemporary ways to acknowledge, respect, and protect our traditional cultural expressions' social and environmental sustainability. The school offers a robust one-year program teaching the age-old skill of hand embroidery from master artisans. The curriculum is divided into 2 semesters and culminates with an internship that provides experience in global luxury craft making. She proudly announced, “We are happy to share that we have educated 470 women through our school. As curators of craft, we feel privileged to preserve our craft heritage through innovation and education to pass it forward to our future generations.”
Future of Indian Fashion and Change
Indian fashion industry is a land of paradox. On one hand, we thrive on handcrafted details, diversity in skill, and a multi-cultural landscape. Our rich cultural heritage is nurtured in the hinterlands of India by humble craftspeople, and Indian craft is fawned over across the world. On the other side of the spectrum, Ms. Swali adds, “While handcraft is revered and appreciated across the world, we feel that it is not as appreciated within our own country. There is so much innate wisdom in craft – it is naturally sustainable, has a near-zero carbon footprint and harbors community while respecting the earth and environment.”
She explains that even though craft is generously used for Indian couture, it should be celebrated every day through all the incredible forms it exists in India.
MoonRay is working with weaving communities in Kutch and Gujarat for their lined organic fabric cotton. The designs echo macrame, crochet, applique work, hand painting, and tie-n-dye—all traditional techniques that work wonderfully for a modern craft aesthetic.
“Moon Ray celebrates the organic evolution of Indian handcraft and traditional techniques into a contemporary timeless design. We work actively with master craft artisans to contribute to design innovation while honing their incredible talent to preserve our craft heritage,” said Ms. Swali.
MoonRay is working with weaving communities in Kutch and Gujarat for their lined organic fabric cotton. The designs echo macrame, crochet, applique work, hand painting, and tie-n-dye—all traditional techniques that work wonderfully for a modern craft aesthetic.
The rise of Sustainable Brands in India
According to the Ms. Swali, India is a melting point of opportunities and ready for evolution – one that is mindful, kind, transparent, and digital. Moreover, the pandemic further accelerated the journey towards “sustainability, fairness and social justice”. She adds, “I am optimistic for the next generation who is aware of their environment and seeking to make informed decisions. However, we all have a long way to go together – awareness needs to change to action.”
A message for young sustainable fashion brand creators
When we asked the fashion industry icon about what one piece of advice she would like to give to the next generation fashion entrepreneurs, she responded, “Conscious fashion means treading slowly and carefully. It is important to stay true to yourself – and build a community through meaningful collaborations. The future lies in graceful, responsible innovation: transformations that beget lasting change, with creativity that demands responsibility to preserve communities and the planet.”
Top picks from the collection
At the end of our interrogation, on a lighter note, she shared with us her favorite pieces from the collection, “My favourites from the collection are the reclaim series – made from industry waste – these patchwork separates are mindfully made and have an effortless style quotient. While Avantika’s favorites are the raw denim jackets as well as the wall flower hoodies that are crafted with her third eye flower illustrations.”
MoonRay offers a pret line of garments, handcrafted vegan leather shoes and bags, and limited edition 22 karat gold-plated jewelry. The offering is rendered complete with a curated collection of exquisitely handcrafted separates that are made to order.
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