It's the final week of the January Selvedge Sale, and we are now offering an entire 70% off selected items with the code JANUARY. Included are the beautiful pashmina dresses made by Injiri – inspiring designs that can bring the warmth of India to any wet and windy afternoon...
Every stitch, gather and selvedge in Chinar Farooqui’s designs for Injiri tell a story. Farooqui sees her textiles as text; a hand-crafted tale that’s shaped by artisans and weavers across India. With influences from folk clothing and local dressing styles, complemented by a deep respect for process, Injiri writes a compelling aesthetic narrative.
The first chapter of Farooqui’s story had a co-author, Aneeth Arora (see issue 47). Together the designers launched ‘Gaba’, a label inspired by regional dress – Gaba is a Marwari word meaning ‘clothing’. The venture lasted several seasons before independence beckoned and Farooqui set up Injiri. She has a Masters in Textiles from India’s National Institute of Design, but can often be found continuing her education at museums, where she studies vintage folk garments. In these, Farooqui finds both beauty and comfort: 'I think there’s a classicism and also spontaneity' she says.
Farooqui embraces this ‘spontaneous’ element in her own designs. 'The fabric suggests the shape and kind of garment I would like to make from it,' she says. 'Only when I have the textile ready in my hand do I start to work with it in a manner that allows me to bring out its beauty in the best possible way. My clothes are like little stories.'
Even the etymology of ‘Injiri’ tells a tale. A colloquial pronunciation of ‘India’, Injiri comes from a Kalibari word that references the highly prized fabrics that were exported to West Africa from South India in the early 20th century. Farooqui continues this tradition of producing heirloom-quality textiles from which she fashions her garments. Central to her collections are chaukadi, or checks, which she pairs in blue and white. Her blue is a ‘glass blue’ that comes from vintage blue pottery and ceramics, a hue that’s often seen on the lungis (similar to sarongs) worn by men in different parts of India...
You can read this article by Kate Cavendish in full in Selvedge issue 58.
For this week only, you can receive 70%off Injiri goods by using the code JANUARY at the checkout. Browse our Injiri products on sale here.