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Aeshaane: Indian Roots, International Appeal

Aeshaane: Indian Roots, International Appeal

October 28, 2024
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A love for colour, design, and sustainability informs the hand-block printed textiles of designer Neesha Amrish Mehta, Founder and Creative Director of Aeshaane. This label is distinguished by its contemporary motifs and striking colour palettes. Neesha is based in Chennai (formerly Madras), Tamil Nadu, India.

Q: What does Aeshaane mean?
Aeshaane is one of the names of the Hindu Goddess Durga, symbolising power, strength, and compassion. It is also my daughter’s name. The name reflects our small team's commitment to working from a position of strength while giving back to the artisan community. We collaborate with rural artisans and small-scale handloom weavers to create signature hand-block printed textiles and garments. My small studio, workshop, and store are located in my home in Chennai.


Q: How did you decide to work with hand-block printing?
Hand-block printing offers the flexibility to create unique motifs and patterns, allowing for experimentation with placements and colour-ways. My journey began by using large potatoes to create motifs, which I printed on fabric. Later, I sourced wooden blocks from artisans who hand-carved designs for printing.

During the pandemic, my artisans returned to their villages in West Bengal, but I continued working with them through visits and video calls. Having collaborated with them for fifteen years, they have a deep understanding of my design process. I am particularly drawn to large motifs in bright colours, and I take pride in the meticulous block printing that ensures well-aligned lines for a seamless flow of designs.


Q: What textiles do you prefer to work with?
I exclusively work with silk textiles. My journey with silk weavers began when I visited a sericulture farm and was disheartened to see cocoons being boiled for silk extraction. I sought alternatives and discovered Tussar Ghicha silk and Eri silk, both of which allow silkworms to mature and emerge as moths before the silk is harvested, thus avoiding their death. Since founding Aeshaane in 2008, we have embraced these "peace silks," and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. More recently, we've begun upcycling Noil silk, made from waste silk yarns.


Q: Can you tell us about Aeshaane’s product range?
Our product range includes hand-block printed saris, scarves, shawls, wraps, and stitched garments such as kimonos, kaftans, jackets, and versatile capes. We also offer handmade upcycled cocoon necklaces.

Q: What inspires your designs?
My design process is organic, drawing inspiration from nature and the world around me—whether it’s the play of lines on a bridge, fallen leaves, zebra stripes at a crosswalk, or an artwork. Recently, we were commissioned by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam to create scarves inspired by the colours of Van Gogh’s painting Almond Blossoms for their store.


Q: Where can Aeshaane’s products be found?
A small selection of products is available at my home store. You can also shop online at our website, as well as in select stores across India, including Taj Khazana, Aza, Myntra, Ciceroni, and Baromarket, as well as niche concept and museum stores abroad.

Aeshaane has received commissions from renowned museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum and the British Museum in London; Palazzo Dei Diamanti in Ferrara, Italy; the Textile Museum in the Netherlands; and several museums in the U.S., including the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas.


In June 2024, I participated in the 23rd Global Ambassadors Program in New York City, a partnership between Bank of America and Vital Voices, joining 15 women leaders in the handcraft sector worldwide. We were thrilled to receive orders for scarves for corporate gifting from Bank of America and enjoy creating customised products based on client concepts.

Text: Brinda Gill
Images Courtesy: Neesha Amrish Mehta

Discover more and follow Aeshaane:
www.aeshaane.com
@aeshaane

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