Aisha

KASHMIR + GRANDMOTHER

Summers growing up meant spending time in my Dadi’s (paternal grandmother) beautiful home in Kashmir. I remember everything about her so vividly: her smile, her gentle laugh, her cooking, her simplicity, extreme sense of hospitality and generosity. She only spoke Kashmiri, which I couldn’t speak yet somehow communication never seemed to be a problem. When she passed away in 2009, her possessions were distributed amongst her children and grandchildren. I was given a pair of gold hoop earrings, which till this day I value as one of my most prized possessions. The earrings are as she was in her life: soft, graceful, beautiful and simple all at the same time. Her earrings were the inspiration to my newest collection named after her, Aisha. My hope through this newest collection is to keep her memory truly “Aisha”, or alive. The collection is a true reflection of her style as well as Kashmiri art and culture in general. 

The motifs seen in this collection were inspired from hand-embroidery on pashmina shawls and paper mache designs. Kashmir is renowned for both of these handicrafts. Perhaps due to the geographic nature of Kashmir, floral motifs are seen in almost all arts and crafts. Another motif that reoccurs in this collection is inspired from lotus flowers, commonly found in the Dal Lake, one of Kashmir’s most popular landmarks.

Campaign Video (shot in Srinagar, Kashmir)