In focus: Dhaaga Designs | Mehal & Aashni Thakore
For Ahmedabad-based mother-daughter duo Mehal and Aashni Thakore, their brainchild, Dhaaga Designs, represents far more than a creative venture—it’s a heartfelt mission to build an inclusive artistic community that celebrates India’s rich textile heritage. In our series of D-Talks, we explore the visionaries behind design innovations, where the eponymous thread of their art brand is personified as a unifying factor that binds artisans and their traditional craft from across the length and breadth of India.
The duo harnesses age-old techniques like Rabari from Kutch, patchwork from Ahmedabad, Mehsana and Bandhani of Gujarat, Sujani from Bihar, Zari from West Bengal and much more, transforming them into a contemporary amalgamation. The artworks are deeply inspired by motifs of nature and the abstract aesthetic.
The Journey Begins
Mehal and Aashni’s journey with Dhaaga began around 2021. At the time, Aashni was a young interior design professional and student of the prestigious CEPT University embarking on her thesis, while Mehal had been running a garment and boutique brand named ‘Shaila’ for years.
With Aashni set to travel to the remote Banni region of Gujarat in the pursuit of her studies — where even a basic mobile network tends to be elusive — her mother decided to join the excursion.
A chance meeting in Bhirandiyara gave them a rare opportunity — which they wholeheartedly embraced — to explore age-old artisanry in highly remote locations.
There, in the arid climes of the vast Rann of Kutch, both Mehal and Aashni fell in love with the distinctive, stunning crafts that formed the unique identity of each village they visited.
The idea of Dhaaga Designs was born, showcasing elements of India’s textile traditions to incorporate them into modern spaces and contexts.
A Vision Takes Shape
Says Mehal, “It was not an immediate manifestation. It took us over a year of visits to meet with the artisans, convince them and form our collaboration with them. We also did heavy research for around two years. Conceptually, the crafts that we got to know more about had patterns that had lasted across ages. We were inspired to give them a broader representation, to innovate them in a modern and different way for the market. That is how our tryst with Dhaaga began.”
Aashni, given her academic background, could also envision how such design pieces could elevate various interiors. “I see the works we do as adding value to spaces, whether in the form of large murals, fabric panels on furniture, etc.,” she says, adding, “Often now, this embroidery is not valued as much today in the form of apparel. Many artisans have discontinued their craft because their earnings are not commensurate with the efforts they put in. It struck me — would manifesting this incredible heritage in the form of art in spaces not add exponentially to its value perception? This spurred us further.”
Complementary Skills
Both halves of the Dhaaga team bring their unique skills to the venture. Mehal says, “My focus is more on working with the artisans, as I have a connect with garment design and textile elements due to my previous work in the apparel sector. The entire graphic and media aspects are conceptualized by Aashni, as well as envisioning how the artwork can be incorporated into varied interiors. We have distributed our work among ourselves.”
Dhaaga Designs sustainable Indian textiles
At Dhaaga, the focus is wholly on procuring handwoven fabrics and embroideries. The threads used are mainly cotton, as well as wool and Ahimsa silk (cruelty-free). In keeping with organic ethos, they also choose only natural or azo-free dyes, utilized either by the artisans or Mehal herself. “I use mud, coffee, powder, flowers… whatever I can lay my hands on,” she says. The duo is also looking into procuring recycled sequins, glass beads and other such elements that they use in artworks. “We try to say zero-waste. Every scrap of cloth is used, whatever gets left over is incorporated into another piece,” Mehal adds.
Says Aashni, “We have even made efforts to utilize the scraps put aside by artisans, as well as the ‘waste’ materials left by fashion designers in the course of creating their collections. We believe none of these things of beauty should be rendered unwanted.”
Dhaaga Designs craft revival initiatives India
All in all, their handcrafted creations “explore the intersection of art and design through craft”, say Mehal and Aashni, with each piece trying to incorporate at least two or three different textile techniques.
A glimpse at their body of artwork presents a view that is subtle yet stunning in its intricacy. Embroideries of myriad styles fuse into a coherence redolent of nature, celebrating elements like the sun, moon, flowers, mountains and more.
Sources of Inspiration
“The artisans are our motivating force, too. Another inspiration for me is the artist Rajen (Rajen Chaudhari) of Ahmedabad and the icon, SH Raza,” says Mehal.
Rajen is known for his incredible legacy of textile art and weaving striking tapestries; the bold use of colour and geometry by Sayed Haider Raza are factors that also inspire the art created at Dhaaga.
Adds Aashni, “The oeuvre of renowned artist Paul Klee also finds an echo in the pieces we create. We try to transform centuries-old patterns of heritage folk art into a contemporary composition, giving them an entirely modern perspective.”
Klee is known across the world for his delicate, tonally stunning and often cubist artworks, which the Dhaaga creations pay subtle homage to.
Dhaaga Designs latest collection 2024
Recently, Dhaaga Designs debuted at a Raw Collaborative event in Ahmedabad in December 2024. “We created a collection of at least 65 pieces, of which 17 were on display,” informs Mehal.
Before that, says Aashni, their designs have graced a few home interiors, with ornate fabric panels elevating spaces like living rooms, dining areas and bedrooms.
The 25-year-old adds, “Art is incredibly important while curating spaces. It creates an emotion and a connect to the places we inhabit.”
Looking Ahead
What’s next for the mother-daughter team? Speaking about challenges ahead, Aashni says the focus on sustainability will continue.
For Mehal, besides professing her excitement about working with traditional artisans from Leh this summer, she also sums up, “We would like to explore taking these inherent Indian art forms to the global stage to give them the kind of broad-scale exposure they deserve. At the end of the day, it is also about being a conduit for these incredible artisans, who do not always have the freedom of expression we may enjoy. Our art attempts to be that creative voice, which embraces a new way of representing these ancient crafts.”
Photo Credit: Jesal Varsani
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