Contemporary Indian

Ahmedabad-based Bhoomi Dani and Priyam Shah, are known to be the heart and soul of brand Vraj:bhoomi. They design stylish contemporary women’s wear from hand-block printed ajrakh textiles and lend perfection and timeless appeal to every piece of the brand. Brinda Gill speaks to the designer duo to unearth the story behind Vraj:bhoomi!

- Brinda Gill

HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO START VRAJ:BHOOMI?

Priyam: In summer 2009, Bhoomi graduated from the National Institute of Fashion Technology where she specialised in Textile Design. She loves Indian textiles and found herself on a journey of learning more about traditional Indian textile techniques and meeting with textile artisans whose families had traditionally practised and specialised in certain textile techniques for generations. She was drawn to reviving traditional textile techniques, preserving the processes and ethos of those techniques while giving them a new expression. All these experiences led Bhoomi to think of launching a garment brand based on a traditional textile technique with a contemporary expression.

Bhoomi is the Founder and Creative Director of Vraj:bhoomi that was founded in 2013. I am a trained aviator and art-lover. So while Bhoomi is the design brain behind Vraj:bhoomi, I contribute my business acumen to the company. Our common interest in art and craft has seen us work together to develop the brand and product range. Together, we wish to encourage people to contemplate on where their clothing comes from, the chain of production of their clothing, and the work of several hands in crafting these garments. We wish to prove that Indian fashion can be extremely luxurious whilst maintaining the traditional design philosophy.

PLEASE COULD YOU EXPLAIN THE ETHOS OF YOUR BRAND?