BRAND NAME - Bungalow Yarn
FOUNDER - Shradha Gupta
STARTED IN - 2021
USP - Hand Embroidered Contemporary Wear
A textile studio located amidst the picturesque town of Chittranjan, West Bengal, Bungalow Yarn is a culmination of stories inspired by the railway life and its Bungalows surrounded by lush gardens. In their signature white silhouettes, vivid flowers and parrots - residents of the gardens - come alive through indigenous embroidery techniques. When Blur The Border spoke to founder Shradha Gupta, a design graduate with a distinct love for craft, she revealed that Bungalow Yarn aspires to be a travel-based studio. And as unconventional as it sounds - when it comes to describing a fashion brand - seconds into Shradha’s journey we knew why.
Shradha's Picks
Who is the one influencer you wish to see wearing a Bungalow Yarn outfit?
Neena Gupta
Is there a podcast/book/social media handle that you’ve found helpful for your business?
Not particularly. But, I would say Tess Newall, she is a London-based artist. She has a very raw and simple aesthetics which inspired me to stay unflieted and true to what you see
If you could collaborate with any Indian or international brand, who would it be?
It would have to be, de Gournay!
BTB: What is the story behind the name Bungalow Yarn??
SHRADHA: The first word comes from the nostalgia that surrounds the ‘Bungalows’ where I have lived. My father works in the railways and Bungalow is a common term used for independent houses they are allocated. This word also captures the sentiment of sharing something from my home with yours, so it felt like the perfect fit. The word ‘yarn’ however, instantly struck me, since our primary focus is on using embroidery threads in our garments.
BTB: What inspired you to start your brand and center it around the art of embroidery and applique work?
SHRADHA: I always wanted to work around crafts because I pursued a bachelor’s degrees in crafts textile from Jaipur. And I wanted then to be a medium for expressing my stories. Growing up across several cities in India also allowed me to meet numerous people and collect several stories, particularly related to the railway life. I wanted to share my experiences with the world. That’s when I decided that I am going to build a brand that can talk about these stories but at the same time connect with other people. That's the reason elements such as flowers have been incorporated because nature is something that everyone adores So, in essence, Bungalow Yarn depicts my childhood memories through the art of embroidery.
BTB: Can you elaborate on the kinds of embroidery you work with and are willing to explore?
SHRADHA: Currently, because of the nature of my father’s profession, I am in Bengal, and I wanted to take this opportunity to work around the traditional crafts of Bengal. My designs particularly incorporate Applique and Kantha, two important crafts from Bengal - to which I aimed to keep a traditional approach but also give it a modern and contemporary look. And, of course, if we move to another city tomorrow, I would like to work around the indigenous crafts of that area. We basically aim to be a travel-based studio. But no matter where I am, the core identity of my brand is always going to be around the life of railways stories.
BTB: What does a typical 9-5 look like in the life of a solopreneur like you?
SHRADHA: I like to kickstart my day pretty early - around 6:30 am and until 9 am I make sure that I take a walk and spend some time with my family and really just plan my day out before I begin work. From 9 am -12 pm, I am at my tailoring unit which happens to be close by, where I spend time with the tailors sorting out our tasks and planning the day. From 1 p.m., I dedicate the rest of the day to the embroidery artisans. I strongly feel that we need to employ a work-life balance amongst ourselves so that we don’t fall prey to the rat race. So unless it's the launch month I make sure that we end the day at 5:30 p.m. sharp.
My last purchase was…
Hand-woven baskets from here in Chittaranjan
A show/book/song I am currently obsessing over is...
With you by AP Dhillon
My personal favorite from Bungalow Yarn is...
Our Tia Pakhi Shirt
Homegrown small brands I am loving right now...
Sosira and Raasleela
BTB: How do you unwind during your spare time?
SHRADHA: I love spending time in nature. At Chittranjan, we are surrounded by hills, so to wind down my day, I often go for a walk or hop on my bicycle. I also enjoy painting or indulging in some Netflix time.
BTB: What was the creative process behind your collection ‘Memsaahib's Bageecha’?
SHRADHA: For the collection, I started with revisiting the photographs from my childhood and reading a lot of blogs - I love to read a lot of blogs, by the way, on railway life that people have written over the course of time and years and I tried to connect the nostalgia that they’ve gone through to mine; which served as the foundation of my inspiration board. From there, I moved on to the practical aspects. It started with, my hand painting the storyline and the elements that I wanted to incorporate as embroidery works in the collection. The next phase involved sampling, which is a longer process and takes us about 3-4 months. During this time, we basically filter the elements that are best suited for the collection. Post that we collate the embroideries with the silhouette using digital sketches to get a clear vision of the entire collection.
BTB: What led you to adopt a made-to-order model for your brand?
SHRADHA: We operate on a made-to-order model because I genuinely believe that creating more when there's less demand doesn't make sense. It's essential to produce precisely what people want or need only then we can stay true to the hard work we put into our brand. Prioritizing sustainability is also important because simply churning out more doesn't benefit the planet. So, when I started Bungalow Yarn, I didn't want to create endless designs and then sit in front of a huge pile and wonder how to sell them all. I want our customers to feel good about their choices, and that's why I offer customization to fit their size requirements.
BTB: What has been that one accomplishment that you are the proudest of in your journey?
SHRADHA: Our brand recently got featured in the magazine Global Spa alongside strong global brands like Pero and Versace. Having a studio out of a verandah to actually get featured in a publication is one of my most significant accomplishments so far. But there are also days when we receive DMs on Instagram with people simply reaching out to us to appreciate our products and complement the overall aesthetics of our brand. These little things also mean a lot to me.
BTB: And what have been your biggest challenges and takeaways?
SHRADHA: In terms of challenges, I’d have to say setting up a studio here with very limited resources and translating my vision to the people has been quite a journey. Additionally, since we are a small, home-grown brand I am handling everything by myself. So, to transition smoothly from one collection to the next launch is a bit overwhelming at the moment because I need to constantly come up with fresh and creative ideas and, at the same time, consistently engage with my audience and put something out there that resonates with them. We are also a small team, so keeping everyone motivated and maintaining a healthy work environment is an ongoing process.
BTB: What do the next five years look like for your business?
SHRADHA: You know, funnily enough, I am usually so wrapped up in planning out the next day or my month-to-month schedule that this is probably the first time I have actually given this question a thought. But of course, I would like to take Bungalow Yarn to global platforms
FOLLOW BUNGALOW YARN'S INSTAGRAM @bungalowyarn