When I was practicing law, contemplating what to do next, I had a dream. Somebody in the dream asked me what my passion was. I said without hesitation, "Arts and crafts." I woke up in a panic. There had to be a better answer. A year later, after traveling to India to learn more about artisanal textiles, I turned my passion into a boho chic girls clothing line made by artisan groups around the world called Ode Kids. Two years later, I used my design experience with artisan groups to help raise funds for global girls’ education initiatives by co-founding the The Catrinka Project. Next, my passion for the arts (and being cozy), fueled Le Collektor, a line of hoodies with interchangeable, collectible hoods designed by street artists. Now, I'm sure I'd say my real passion lies in bringing beautiful ideas to life - whether I'm behind the camera, in a far flung textile market, or on the factory floor.
O D E K I D S
Ode Kids was born while on an extended trip to my family’s ancestral village, Ode, India in 2010. At the time, my 4 year old niece Arya was struggling with her brown skin and Indianness. “I’m not Indian! I’m regular,” she would say. My sister Rupa and I designed a collection of dresses for her by re-imagining traditional textiles into contemporary designs. From there, we launched a full line of girls’ dresses that used the language of textiles — print, pattern and color — to celebrate difference. By working with global artisan groups and a woman-owned factory in Jaipur, India, we preserved textile traditions and empowered hundreds of women around the world.
T H E C A T R I N K A P R O J E C T
I, along with two friends, co-founded The Catrinka Project which employs women and raises funds for global girls’ education initiatives. We were inspired by the documentary film and social action campaign Girl Rising, which told the story of nine girls from nine different countries and the extraordinary ways in which access to education changed their lives. We worked with women artisan groups in ten different countries including Afghanistan, Cambodia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Nepal, Sierra Leone and Uganda to produce a collection of ten handbags made from local materials in under ten months so that we could launch alongside the film. Since that initial collection, we expanded production to Mexico and were part of the inaugural class at the BF + DA Design Accelerator.
L E C O L L E K T O R
Living in New York City, it’s almost impossible to not be inspired by art and the artists creating it. It’s everywhere, from the brick walls of the Bronx to the white walls of Chelsea galleries. Moved by both the politicization of the hoodie and the gentrification of street art, I wanted to re-invent the hoodie as a wearable, collectible form of self-expression so I, along with my friend David R. Head, Jr., created Le Collektor: a line of hoodies with interchangeable, collectible hoods designed by street artists including EWOK, Joseph Meloy, Chris Uphues, and Sonni. We raised over $35,000 through Kickstarter and were carried by The Hoodie Shop and Community 54. I was especially proud of the hood my dear friend Boudicon created to benefit #BlackLivesMatter that was a derivative of David Hammons Untitled (African American Flag).
