I’ve never fancied myself a fashion designer. I wouldn’t even consider myself uber “creative”, to be honest; creative enough to write and dream and enjoy immersing myself in the art of others, but never creating my own pieces to be put on display. However, last week I stepped out of this self-imposed box and spent four days imagining, designing, and working with professional tailors to create a mini collection of clothing.
My partner, Lily, and I started with five pieces of hand-woven fabric which we purchased directly from the makers at a local weaving co-operative in Chendamangalam, India. By the end of our week with Swara, the ethical fashion brand responsible for our entire project, those rectangles of fabric had been meticulously measured, cut, and sewn to create a skirt, a top, and matching pants. This may not seem like much, but to me, they represented a whole new world—one where I wasn’t a university student studying political science, stuck in the intricacies of theory, but rather a creator. An artist, at least somewhat. This is the first time in years that something has come from my own head and turned into something tangible, something I can wear or sell or show to others.
The design process is hard. Way harder and more complicated than I expected going in. In a few days, we attempted to do a small amount of what takes professional designers months. I see why years of experience and training are so valuable in this work. It takes imagination, concentrated effort, decision making, communication, patience, cooperation, and so much more. But, the results were so worth it. We went back and forth with the tailors a few times communicating ideas and somehow, miraculously, in a few hours they brought mine and Lily’s visions to life. I was amazed. Somehow my “not creative” brain had created the idea for these pieces of clothing! And they were real, sitting in front of me! Our designs were fairly simple, of course, given our lack of experience and time constraints, but the results were three products I could imagine in a store.
This whole process would not have been possible without the amazing tailors at Swara - Voice of Women. Omana, Kanakamma, Bhanumati, and Sherly work in Kottayam, making beautiful handmade clothing products which are then shipped across the country. Though we do not share a background or language, working alongside and learning from them to create our designs was such an enriching experience. They all have such beautiful stories; they’re full of so much knowledge and talent that should be shared with the world. The products they create could never be replicated by a machine because you can acutely sense the love and effort in every piece. It is such an honor to have learned from them, shared space with them, and to be leaving with products they made by hand.
Overall, I had such a fulfilling week working with Swara. I am so grateful for their creation of this program, and for the opportunity to travel here and learn from so many incredible and strong women. This trip is pushing me outside of my comfort zone and teaching me that I can accomplish things I never would have imagined—like designing my own clothing. Nothing could be better than this.
If you want to learn more about the incredible tailors at Swara and check out their work, see their instagram here!
CraftHER is a proprietary project bringing scholars from around the world to study the intersection of traditional craft, feminism, and women’s amplification in Kerala, India. Created by Swara: Voice of Women, the project was established in 2024 with a cohort of 6 scholars but hopes to expand in forthcoming years. Follow @craftherbyswara on Instagram for more details and to follow along on our journey!
