Designer’s Journey
The Designer’s story in her own words:
Flashback to 31st December 2006, a New Year eve’s trek to Rajgad in Pune with college friends. It was a night to remember with group of close friends, in a remote place inside the ruins of centuries-old fort on the mountain summit, self-made steamy hot pulav for dinner cooked on wood fire in the chilly evening and a small temple to spend the night in! Never before this moment, that I realised the free spirit of just being. The first rays of morning Sun not only brought along a New Year but also a new hope for me, opening the doors of new opportunities, that of doing something different, breaking the mould and carve my own niche!
Until that time, I, Priti Sahni, was on the well-trodden path. Following typical Indian parent’s goal, being a state rank holder, I studied to be a Computer engineer from Mumbai University and subsequently worked as an analyst with a leading private sector bank for 3 years. The childhood passion for drawing, painting and designing was left far behind in the mindless pursuit of corporate career. It was in early 2007, after that magical trek into the wilderness of the mountains, I finally decided to quit the cushy corporate job and follow my passion in field of fashion and designing. When I was selected as one of the fifteen students for postgraduate program at the prestigious and India’s best design school, National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, there was no looking back. The liberal and fluid atmosphere of design school freed me from rigid mindset and made me see things in new light, exploring, absorbing and thinking beyond just self-centric design and creativity.
The major understanding was how people, processes and environment are three aspects of any design and how each one plays a huge role determining the success in the long run. The huge hand craftsmanship sector of India was the most important aspect, ranging from weaving, embroideries, dyeing techniques to pottery, paintings, sculptures and so on. The talent and indigenous techniques used to get astonishing end results which were popular since generations, were under a direct threat due to fast machination and mass production. The craftsmen who aced these magic had no confidence on their skills and were leaving the age old practices to find some random jobs to run their households. Somewhere deep down in my mind, I decided to do my bit to keep the art alive and make the craft more sustainable for the craftsmen.
After convocation, I worked with Pantaloons and Shopper’s Stop as a designer for a brief period before starting my eponymous brand in 2011. The idea was to give creative freedom to my own vision and to use the services of talented karigars and bring the magic of handmade luxury into the clothes.
Brand’s Journey
The brand Priti Sahni aims to develop a community of women celebrating the Indian craft and culture with open heart. The Priti Sahni woman is a modern Indian woman who is proud of her roots and values hand craftsmanship, comfort & fine detailing and is environmentally conscious.
As a brand philosophy, I believe in timeless classics and creating evergreen outfits that clients can wear again and again, even pass it to the next generation as a legacy. Fads come and go, however the style is eternal and that is the reason even the bridal outfits are made in such a way that the bride can wear it again by doing some mix & match, by bringing her own creativity and personality in her looks and play her own stylist!
The brand is nothing but an entity which evolves with the time. In this journey of the brand Priti Sahni, I am grateful to my team of karigars who not only embellish or sew these pretty outfits but also put in their goodwill and emotions into every piece. I strive to support their craft and skill by adhering to slow fashion, sourcing local raw material, promoting artisanal culture and making products which are touched by those magical hands!
Hand made in India with LOVE