Ashray Gujral at Paris Fashion Week
Dash and Dot debuted their Fall/Winter 2022 collection at Paris Fashion Week, which was inspired by the rich history of Indian textiles and craftsmanship. It’s a celebration of traditional Indian craftsmanship presented on a global scale in ready-to-wear silhouettes. The goal was to bring affordable luxury from India to the rest of the world.
Each piece incorporated a component of sustainability. Starting with coats and jackets made from upcycled bohris and jute bags embellished with mirror work, the collection demonstrates how Indian artisanship can help upcycle even the most basic textile. The shirts were created using a one-of-a-kind embroidery technique that made use of waste sewing threads from export factories. The collection embraced carpet making’s traditional history, with materials hand knitted using organic cotton and recycled polyester threads.
Dash & Dot’s Fall/Winter Collection empowers Indian artisans and forges a link between the global fashion industry and India’s time-honored techniques. The goal was to blur the distinction between Indian craftsmanship and ready-to-wear clothing.
Speaking of his experience at Paris Fashion Week 2022, Ashray Gujral, founder of Dash & Dot said, “Being welcomed to showcase Indian history and being a part of the global community was truly an enriching experience. It was everything one could ever dream of. It was even more heartwarming to witness our Indian workmanship being appreciated so much. To be surrounded in an environment of creative people who do what we do makes us realize how much we love the process of creating.”
More specifically, Ashray believes that there is a lot of hard work and team effort that goes into making the luxurious brand accessible to global platforms such as Paris Fashion Week.
Ashray advises young Indian fashion brands seeking a global audience, saying, “We shouldn’t be ashamed of the fact that we are from India.” We come from one of the world’s richest textile and artisanship histories, and it is critical for us as designers to take on the responsibility of bringing that rich history into the present day.”