SAFW, The Runway Experience Part 1: Emerging Designers
By: Riya Goel
The first-official South Asian Fashion Week is almost here — and you need to know about our featured emerging designers. They will be showcased at two separate shows, both at Chelsea Factory on Sunday, September 11th, 2022. The first show will feature Bedi.NYC, Recover Season, RKJ Designs, and What is Moirė? from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm EST.
Bedi nyc
Bedi NYC is a clothing brand that reinterprets traditional South Asian apparel for the modern woman who knows how to strike the perfect balance between heritage and ingenuity. Bedi’s founder and creative director Alice Narang wanted to be able to merge her “western clothing” and the “Indian clothes she’d wear on Sundays or occasions,” customized with functional features like pockets and zippers that make clothes easier to put on yourself, letting the clothes be able to “last as long as your day, and feel like you.”
Recover season
Recover Season is a South Asian resort wear platform that aims to be “Barbiecore, reimagined.” With “bright sunset-inspired colors, block prints, and dainty paisleys,” the designs at Recover Season emulate vacation vibes, 24/7. With “designs you’d want to live in, Recover Season designs for a free-spirited girl who wants to live on her own terms, have fun, but still nod to her traditions, values, and culture in what she wears.
RKJ Designs
Fun and quirky meets South Asian style with the fun, wearable designs at RKJ Designs. This indo-western line focuses on clothing that can be worn anytime, anywhere — but with a desi twist. With designs reflecting new trends and fashion components, RKJ Designs is a new, constantly-adapting brand that is guaranteed to have a special place in your wardrobe.
What is Moiré
What is Moiré? A moire is a geometric pattern or discoloration that occurs when a set of similar, but slightly different patterns are overlaid, creating a rippling illusion. Taking inspiration from their NYC upbringing and Bangladeshi origins, Moire creates digestible streetwear pieces that can be loved and worn by the western world.
The second show will highlight the following emerging designers: Pali, Aks Mathur, Kalamandir Fashion, AARIAH by Sabbineni x Avigna Fine Jewels, and Tai by Studio 9696.
Pali
Pali is a South Asian, LGBTQ-owned small business focused on bringing handcrafted traditional Indian designs to modern menswear. From an exploration of the ancient block print craft of Ajrakh to the traditional resist-dyeing craft of Ikat, Pali traverses through the Indian subcontinent to find traditional methods, prints, and techniques to incorporate into their sustainable designs.
aks Mathur
Aks Mathur creates art in the form of useful design, using the medium of fine leather to embody beauty and usability in extreme detail. Every product displays superior hand craftsmanship, and this quality is maintained through limited orders, making every piece sustainable, and built to last.
Kalamandir Fashion
Kalamandir Fashion curates an impeccable collection of exclusive, exquisitely handwoven ethnic wear that seamlessly becomes a part of family celebrations and special occasions. With a pioneering team of designers, artisans, and weavers, the Kalamandir team has created a unique and enticing fabric for their clothing line.
AARIAH by Sabbineni Ft. Avigna Fine Jewels
AARIAH by Sabbineni provides a deep story through fashion, aiming to revive forgotten weaves and handloom work, and make fashion accessible. The very handlooms that are the center of the brand showcase narratives from the banks of the Ganges to the city of a thousand pillars, paying homage to the rich culture that the inspiration designs originate from. Avigna Fine Jewels brings the best of tradition showcasing exquisite craftsmanship and luxurious details in jewelry. Pairable with any outfit, Avigna allows for a true expression of heritage within accessories.
Tai by studio 9696
Through bright colors, stand-out silhouettes, playful stripes and motifs, Tai by Studio 9696 aims to make South Asian textiles adaptable to diverse communities and gender orientations. By keeping sustainability at the forefront, the designs create versatile outfits that can be personalized and styled in multiple ways, as well as providing solutions to creating ethical practices in the silk weaving sector.
We can’t wait to see these emerging designers showcase their work, and hope you’ll join us in celebrating their designs!