The & Collection
In 2012, I spent time in India and quickly became obsessed with the beautiful and varied textiles across different regions of the country. It struck me how much fashion designers borrow from other cultures without credit or financial investment in those communities. A few years later, in partnership with my good friend, Jayshi Chackraborty, The & Collection was born.
'“Hi there. We’re The & Collection and we’re here to give a high five to cultural differences.
We’re a new fashion label with old designs. Really old. Like hundreds of years kind of old. Because all of our textiles come from a long line of master craftsmen and we want those traditions to continue and prosper.
How do we do that? Thank you for asking. The & Collection celebrates and supports unique cultures by making artisans our partners. When we see something beautiful in our travels, we don’t hire the cheapest bidder to copy it. We hire the original craftspeople to keep doing what they do best. In that way, we’re committed to developing local businesses by promoting entrepreneurship, prosperity and dignity in underdeveloped areas. Oh yeah, and making really, really, really beautiful garments.
& is a connector. It’s all right there in our name. We connect artisans who still practice ancient textile techniques with a global market of fashionistas who appreciate craft, beauty and authenticity.”
Creating The & Collection was a massive undertaking – selecting and sourcing materials, designing clothes, shooting product and telling the brand story. But it was a labor of love, and in the end, we earned some good press and some loyal customers.
Sadly, we had to officially close up shop at the end of 2019. If given the choice? I’d do it all again. I learned a lot about a lot of things including a lot of things about myself.
Below are some photos I took along the journey.
