It is not often that the dream to start one’s own venture, when still in college, comes true. For college mates-turned-business partners Shaoni Ray and Sahil Meenia, it is quite the opposite.
While studying at National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, the duo found themselves interning in Kolkata (at Shaoni’s mother’s boutique, Warp and Weft) alongside kantha artisans. “We realised the potential of blending traditional techniques with modern design. With no formal plan or resources, we launched a menswear brand on Instagram, and created a 30-piece collection during the internship,” says Shaoni, 24, brand director. Weeks of brainstorming led to the name Hindostan Archive, a tribute to the “subcontinent’s pre-Partition unity before and during British rule in India”.
With Sahil’s roots tracing back to Pakistan, and Shaoni’s to Bangladesh, the duo wanted to reclaim that sense of unity and explore the interconnected textile legacies of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. “I realised there was a dearth in handmade, designer wear, especially in the West. Trends are changing today with men experimenting with colours and cuts. I wanted to bank on India’s craft heritage, and using my artisan contacts, I cut out the middlemen,” says Sahil, 24, the brand’s creative director.
An outfit from ‘Indian Summers’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
When the designers visited Shaoni’s ancestral village Gangarampur, West Bengal, near the Indo-Bangladesh border, they shot their first collection . “In my family home, we found old kantha blankets handcrafted by my great-grandmother before the Partition. She had meticulously stitched together scraps of beautiful silk fabrics to create the quilts. We had been working with artisans in Shantiniketan, but discovering the blankets blew us away,” says Shaoni, adding that the blankets looked similar to Japanese boro stitching, which also promotes mending. They brought one of these heirloom blankets back to Kolkata, which was the seed for Hindostan Archive.
An outfit from ‘Indian Summers’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“Recognising the parallels between kantha and boro, we envisioned transforming this traditional craft into something modern. This led to the creation of our first silk patchwork kantha jacket. Sahil further enhanced the design by lining it with my mother’s checked pure silk sari that she hand-painted,” she says of the brand’s first design that was eventually acquired by a private textile collector.
An outfit from ‘Indian Summers’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
The designers are now out with their latest collection, Indian Summers, that draws from “the fleeting beauty of a late summer”. Forgotten crafts and rare techniques from Gujarat such as pakko, Rabari and suf embroidery, Bhujodi weaving, and kharek, have been reimagined onto airy silk shirts, oversized denim jackets, and tailored kurtas. “It’s about honoring India’s craft legacy while making it relatable today,” says Sahil, of the range in summery shades of turmeric yellow, indigo, burnt orange, and moss green.
“Standout pieces that we are proud of include a black denim jacket dyed naturally with iron rust, adorned with silver ghungroos along the seams, and a bandhani ceremonial shirt inspired by Gujarati bridal wear, layered with hues of red, white, and yellow. We also used organic kala cotton, khadi, and mashru silk, ensuring every piece is handmade with care, some taking weeks to complete.”
Outfits from ‘Indian Summers’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
He further says that they work with crafts rooted in India’s diverse regional clusters such as Kashmir’s pashmina weaving, Rajasthan’s dabu, Bengal’s kantha, etc. “Each collection highlights a mix of well-known crafts (like ajrakh) and lesser-documented ones (like Rabari patchwork or kharek), ensuring we balance awareness with discovery. In Indian Summers, we paired Gujarat’s Bhujodi weaves featuring motifs like popati (triangle) and chaumukh (a four-sided pattern) to create a dialogue between pastoral storytelling and contemporary design, he says, explaining how techniques are never altered, but their application is reimagined.
Outfits from ‘Indian Summers’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Organic and handwoven fabrics such as kala cotton, khadi, pashmina, natural dyed denim, silk, and linen are used, alongside natural dyes derived from turmeric, myrobalan, pomegranate rind, mud, and indigo. “All textile waste is repurposed, think upcycled linings, stuffed accessories, or patchwork totes, to minimise landfill contribution. We focus on creating timeless, durable pieces designed to outlast trends, because sustainability starts with consuming less,” says Shaoni.
The brand’s androgynous silhouettes of jackets, relaxed trousers, and oversized shirts found takers among women too
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
While Hindostan Archive is a menswear label, over time, their androgynous silhouettes of jackets, relaxed trousers, and oversized shirts found takers among women too. “This organic shift led us to consciously label these pieces as unisex to reflect their universal appeal,” says Shaoni, adding that they will launch their first dedicated womenswear collection in A/W 2025.
An outfit from ‘Indian Summers’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
The duo is now exploring textiles in India’s northeastern regions and collaborating with local artisans to reinterpret traditional techniques like backstrap loom weaving and natural dyeing. “Our upcoming collections will spotlight these textiles across various categories, including knitwear, cardigans, denim, and womenswear. We’re also developing a line of accessories. To us, heritage isn’t just stored in museums; it stays alive when people wear it, share it, and keep its stories alive,” concludes Shaoni.
Upwards of ₹5,000 on hindostanarchive.com
Published – May 23, 2025 03:27 pm IST
