Dhari Studio

The spirit of Dhari lies in the circle of life. 

The brand focuses on eco printing and bundle dyeing using flower and food waste like onion, pomegranate peels, old bouquets, and garlands. We believe in small-batch production of one-of-a-kind seasonless clothing, accessories and more. The journey with natural dye involves a lot of learning and unlearning along with the process. It is slow and takes up to a week of multiple steps to finally achieve the desired result. The products are unique and we mostly work on a pre-order basis to eliminate the problem of excess production and give the most personalized experience. We team up with women tailors who are artisans who are mostly in their 50s and above and work from home and thus be a part of their journey to be self-employed.

Who are the founders? Please explain a little about them.

Dhari was founded by Nikita Jain, a Textile Design graduate from NIFT. She is a nature lover and a textile enthusiast who loves to read and experience the art and culture of different communities. She likes challenges and explores new materials and techniques.

What is a particular problem that your brand is solving?

We are trying to fight the problem of overproduction and the effects that chemical dyes have on the producer, user and the environment. We are also trying to provide print and dye solutions for other brands that are looking for options to create more eco-friendly products.

What were/are the difficulties and challenges being faced by you and your brand?

One of the biggest challenges that we face is customers looking for an everlasting print or colour which is an unrealistic demand when every element of nature has its own life circle where it starts and ends at a point. Customers questioning the price point and often comparing it with bulk produced goods is also some of the other problems that we have been facing.

What is your brand offering?

The brand has a variety of products to choose from. It ranges from Apparel, accessories and home furnishing items to stationery like postcards, journals and natural inks. We also take custom orders and are open to collaborative projects.

Did your brand and products make any contribution to the society/ environment/ culture/ community?
If yes, please highlight the same.

The brand is focused on creating prints and colours extracted from nature with an aim to use what's available already. The raw materials, including the fabric, is either factory waste or over-produced along with dye materials that are waste or by-product. This is our small step towards optimum usage of what's already produced.

How do you see your brand contributing to the world in the years to come?

I hope to develop production-friendly techniques for fabric dyeing and printing and provide more natural and eco-friendly design solutions for creators as well as customers.

What would you like to say to the next GEN of creators?

I would like to quote something from the 10 rules for creating art by Corita Kent, “Don't analyse and create at the same time.”