GRAINE
Founded by Harshna Kandhari and Mannat Sethi • Started in 2019 • New-age occasion Wear
A label that has garnered prominence for its dressmaking equivalent to an art form, GRAINE’s fearless play on Indian embroideries and surface work are essentially meant to represent our global lives today. In their designs, GRAINE explores the possibilities of clothing that can move from busy office cubicles to dynamic social gatherings, and the use of recycled rubber tyres as unique surface treatments, an unusual yet notable addition to their repertoire.
What stands out is GRAINE’s close attention to each of their look, whether it is a unique cut that elevates the entire silhouette, the coming together of two contrasting textiles, textures that embody the silhouette as a whole and shapes that lend a dramatic look. Their garments not only drape the body but invite the wearer to view clothing as an extension of their personality and curate a truly one-of-a-kind wardrobe. While it is common to find Bakhiya stitch decorated on a lightweight cotton kurti or perhaps the elaborate zardozi on a lavish saree, GRAINE lends a modern voice to indigenous techniques- now also residing on a kimono top, a structured shirt or even a signature-style co-ord.
Founded by the sister-duo Harshna Kandhari and Mannat Sethi, GRAINE - a new-age occasion wear label- is as much a visual celebration of design as it is rooted in its purpose. Since 2019, the label has relentlessly focused on transformation and championing responsibility. On one hand, GRAINE hoists Indian craftsmanship and textiles into contemporary iterations, peppered playfully across structured shapes. This notion springs from the founders’ beliefs that although Indian craftsmanship and textiles have been threading their way into modern times, today's consumers aren't drawn to them simply for their venerability or antiquity. Meanwhile, on the one hand, they re-purpose discarded rubber from rickshaw tyre tubes that accentuate their designs as unique surface treatments. Through new and innovative ways of craftsmanship- refreshing yet retaining their revered charm- GRAINE’s range of dresses, jackets, skirts, shirts and more have come to command presence. And while doing so, these eclectic silhouettes have carved Indian crafts out of their hackneyed blueprint.
The label's deep appreciation for crafts is rooted in years of research and the founders’ hands-on experience with expert artisans in Lucknow and Varanasi- their artistry laying the groundwork for GRAINE’s kaarigari. Amongst their noteworthy designs is the Koin dress made entirely of gota ribbons, contrary to their use only as embellishments, their Varq Baadla, exhibiting an interplay of fabrics of contrasting textures and mukaish tilla wires in contemporary iterations. GRAINE’s colour palette is both timeless and contemporary - their rich browns, warm terracottas, and soft beiges evoke a sense of grounding while pops of vivid greens, and metallic shades add energy and excitement to the palette. Through their endeavour, GRAINE not only uplifts the crafts, so intrinsic to India, but also its artisans, evolving their vocabulary of craftsmanship. What also stands out is their creative process, blending various elements from shapes to surface treatments seamlessly. Despite this amalgamation, what emerges is a singular, captivating aesthetic that never fails to turn heads.
BTB: What drove you towards merging two different aspects - Indian craftsmanship and recycled rubber - in GRAINE's collections?
MANNAT: 'Consciously eclectic' is a term coined very early in our years. It was our prime motive to be able to stage repurposed materials in a strong eclectic language, possible only by marrying details of Indian craftsmanship in a concept where they play 'yin and yang' and tell a story that is relevant to the market today. The glorification of either in isolation from one another does not satisfy the foundation of design and its narrative at GRAINE. While the repurposed attribute of rubber expands your mind into the various possibilities through design, the craftsmanship takes you back to the roots emphasising the origin of design.
The responsibility towards repurposed rubber, and waste metal hardware, the care for cultural sustainability with mukaish tilla wires and the bakhiya stitch of chikankaari take centre stage on the runway in shapes and forms that are accepted by a global mindset.
BTB: What has been an accomplishment that you have been the most proud of in your journey?
HARSHNA: It will have to be a shared spot between Diana Penty wearing our metallic silver dress at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 and being the only Indian sustainable designer in its fresher years to have bagged the opportunity to showcase at The Helsinki Fashion Week. But what touches us the most is our database of repeat clients which is the true reward of the quality we strive to achieve.
BTB: How do you visualize an ideal GRAINE customer?
HARSHNA: The pieces of GRAINE make you wonder about the material, the linework, the stories behind the stitches, and where they flow from. It is safe to say that each piece is a conversation starter.
GRAINE is a label that one finds, comes across and discovers. These pieces then have a conversation to start or questions to ask like, ‘Who are you wearing?”, “What is that?” or “That embroidery is intriguing.” We look at GRAINE as an extension of your self-portrait. It is the spirit with which you introduce yourself to the world. A GRAINE woman is one who wants to wear Indian craftsmanship and wants the materials to tell a story without being confined in the story of time.
BTB: What’s your all-time favourite product?
MANNAT: The maze daze shirt. Its hand-cut rubber patchwork with zardozi embroidery and the bakhiya stitch of chikankaari have evolved to become a signature at GRAINE. It was birthed at the studio, making way to the jury of GenNext to the runway at Lakme and Helsinki and is now a loved pick for GRAINE buyers at our Dhanmill flagship. The silhouette is a classic shirt crafted in an organza body, where the structure marries fluidity- the easiest way to wear detailed craftsmanship on your sleeve.
BTB: Which three homegrown labels have grabbed your attention that you'd like to give a shoutout to?
MANNAT & HARSHNA: It will be Almost Gods, Polite Society and Cord