About the brands -
TO & FROM -
TO&FROM is a London based design studio. Founded in 2016 by Somya Singh; interior designer a graduate of Glasgow school of Art and Bob de Graaf; product and exhibition designer, a graduate from The Design Academy Eindhoven. Both travelled to the UK in early 2000s to explore work in design, carrying with them their unique blend of Indian and Dutch heritage and experience. They have designed, produced and showcased their unique furniture, home products, interiors and exhibitions for global names like Ilse Crawford, Anouska Hempel, Thomas Goode, V&A and Tate Modern.
In addition to their design services, TO&FROM has produced a homeware range which feature pieces that diffuse the lines between sculpture and practicality, each item with individual personality. Celebrating form and beauty, their pieces are modern heirlooms and designed to be treasured and passed on from generation to generation. The key collections to date include a selection of beautiful marble platters and pedestals, hand bashed copper jug and cups and a range of screen printed textiles. Each collection tells a story of their journey and their close collaboration with artists and manufacturers across India and Europe, alongside the exploration of beautiful materials and design.
TO&FROM create beautiful objects of everyday practicality with human connection and collaboration at the core of their design practice. They have manufactured alongside marble experts in Rajasthan and designed printed textiles with The Printed Peanut in Yorkshire. The core value to each collection is a warmth, a sculptural beauty and celebration of form and function, creating objects with the intention to be treasured and shared.
Kilchu -
Kilchu is a desert village close to Bikaner in Rajasthan. The land holds the collective identities of people who speaks confidence and live comfort. The air has the charm of the bygone. It is these ethos of the place the brand derives its inspiration from.
At Kilchu they believe in comfort and precision. they put in the effort to bring out details in construction and silhouette. The collections are reflective of their learnings from travels and stays. The fabrics and crafts explored are completely the genesis of the communities they work with, across the country.
That said on the design front- they also believe in the inclusive environment cycle and thus try to maintain a fair trade-in what they consume and offer, the knowledge gained and shared.
Tokree - The brand was born out of love for comfortable Indian wear. Tokree tries to incorporate indigenous craft techniques primarily from across Northern India, into making garments which are appealing to a more modern aesthetic.
They use 100% natural Indian fabrics like cotton, mulmul and silk, brocade, and chanderi which are all breathable fabrics and well suited to most climates.
Each piece made by Tokree carries an element of "hand-made". It can be hand crafted fabric buttons, block print which is a painstaking repetitive process, garments joined using the handmade thread "jaali", little bits of Mukaish work added to hand hemmed outfits, hand quilting etc.
Comfortable, easy to wear garments each with a characteristic unique element to it, Tokree's clothes are made by craftsmen who they have worked in close association with for several years.
The fabrics are mostly spun to order by craftsmen based across northern India.
Bun.Kar Bihar
Bun.Kar Bihar is the commercial retail brand of Srijani Foundation, based in Patna, Bihar. Started in 2018, Bun.Kar Bihar showcases to the world countless efforts of semi-rural and rural Indians residing in Bihar who seem frozen in a time far removed from the fast-paced world of today.
The brand brings forth a promise at many levels, especially focusing on arts, crafts, revival, handloom, and community development on a larger scale. Its trademark lies in its socially inclusive foundation which highlights not just the ornateness of our rich textile heritage but also the necessity to become progressively aware of conscious clothing and sustainable fashion.
Bun.Kar Bihar’s product line characterizes stories from often silenced desires and simple wishes, like perhaps forgetting about one’s turmoil and sitting amidst spring flowers, or by the free-spirited village river, or in the company of loved ones and musical notes. We specialize in textile-based products and are particularly keen in having men and women bring alive the arts and crafts of Bihar through their passion, while providing a sustainable living to them; exactly what the brand literally stands for – weaving for a living.
Together along with spinners and weavers and our teams spread across the state, Bun.Kar Bihar brings to you a dynamic line of clothing which is truly representative of sustainable, conscious clothing that comes alive with the magic of story-telling through community enriched crafts.