Anuj Sharma

Anuj Sharma's  design philosophy in a single word would be 'simplify'. His clothes are an exploration in simplicity of form, design and fabric. While this may sound a little clinical , the results are a stunning line of clean cut silhouettes . Sharma uses his signature single piece of cloth to fashion quirky and interesting drapes. In this collection ' Button Masala' , he creates structure and embellishment with rubberbands fastened to buttons. Genius! 

More at the  MASALA CHAI store, Chennai. 

Pop Att

Sublime bursts of colour in the form of lamps, chandeliers, jewelry and home accessories - Pop Att, will make your eyes pop and grab your attention . You definitely want a piece of their merchandise to add character to your space.  The creative dabbling of Khushboo & Rakhi, Pop Att makes its debut in the south at MASALA CHAI in Chennai soon. 

Shahid Datawala : Karborised

"Shahid Datawala debuts a men’s line of limited edition shirts for which he draws on his pool of matchbox labels. He teams kickass graphics with suitably kickass colours and some nifty design details.And that was that; Karborisedwas born.Each of the nine prints are available in two style variations (short and long sleeves) and  two size variations.

An enthusiastic Datawala says, “I like colour and flair in my clothing,and I’m more than certain that there are several men who feel similarly. Karborised is for men who are not sheepish when it comes to sartorial matters and who are willing to spike their wardrobe with wit and edge. I’m thrilled about this collection, but I’m also looking forward to taking Karborised to women with anequally eclectic and hip line of clothing.”

Available soon at the MASALA CHAI store, Chennai.

Lokesh Karekar : Locopopo

Lokesh Karekar's artistic skills are nothing short of superb. This J.J. Institute of Applied Arts alumnus knows a thing or two about design. One look at his stylized Indic script illustrations or even the rendering on his desi-hip  brand locopopo, is all you need to be convinced of this fact. In a sublime mix of austere line drawings and intensely hued folksy vectors, you see a glimpse of Karekar's visual identity. When quizzed about what inspires him, Lokesh dutifully pays tribute to his city Mumbai , amongst other things. Click here for an interview.

Available soon at the MASALA CHAI store, Chennai

Kalyani Ganapathy : Kye

"In the sultry south Indian state noted for its excellent frothy filter coffee, ‘Kye’ means hand. It’s a rather quirky name, we think. And it’s certainly the shortest word that captures everything we stand for, and everything i do. I, Kalyani am the only designer here at Kye. At Kye i  paint stories, incidents, dreams, sounds, sights, just about anything and make them into objects for use. Though my work comes from no particular school of art, every piece of art is handmade, unique and done by a single hand. That’s why we call it the labour of love! It’s just something i do straight from the heart.", says Kalyani Ganapathy of Kye.

Available soon at the MASALA CHAI store, Chennai 

Kanika Bahl : Anek Designs

Kanika Bahl is a textile designer from NID, Ahmedabad. Kanika recently started 'Anek Designs' from her new home in  Pune.  At Anek you will find  handcrafted home decor accessories and fabric nick knacks designed and crafted by Kanika. These products, though Indian in their essence will sit beautifully in any contemporary home to add that little warmth and colour!


Available soon at the MASALA CHAI store.

Chumbak

Chumbak, the incredibly interpreted 'India' merchandise that will delight you with its staggering variety of choice, is the brain child of Shubhra Chadda an avid traveler and  Alicia Souza, an illustrator. Chumbak is based out of Bangalore and is soon to take Chennai by storm. Tons more at the MASALA CHAI store launch.

The MASALA CHAI Store

Greetings everybody :)

1st Nov 2010 will mark the 3rd anniversary of the MASALA CHAI blog . 3 years and almost 350 posts of featuring the best South Asian talent from around the world, I'm over joyed and excited to say that MASALA CHAI will be launching it's store in Chennai. We will be stocking and retailing the funkiest, most inventive , desi hip designers and independent brands from around the country. Stay tuned for daily sneak peaks of our awesome merchandise!

Poch & Rock

The streets of Mumbai and Delhi , a grimy albeit soulful showcase to the style deviations of artistic duo Poch & Rock.  The french graffiti artist & musician/dj duo also have a book out titled Teenage Kicks. Fresh.  More here & here .