In the heart of Mumbai's vibrant Kala Ghoda art district, a new sanctuary for craft and creativity has opened its doors. Chorus, a visionary multidisciplinary atelier, marks a significant evolution for Karishma Swali and her daughter Avantika, expanding their former Moonray label into a comprehensive lifestyle brand.
A New Home for Indian Craftsmanship
The transformation from Moonray to Chorus represents more than just a name change. This 980 square feet ground floor space now houses ready-to-wear fashion, couture, skincare products, and even a café, all unified by a singular focus on celebrating Indian craftsmanship. According to Karishma Swali, who also heads the renowned Chanakya School of Craft, this expansion comes during significant milestones: her 30th year with Chanakya and the school's 40th anniversary.
"There's no gap in the market that we are trying to fill," Swali explained in an exclusive interview. "We began to feel that we needed to represent craft at a larger scale." This vision took two years to realize, involving a collaborative design collective including designers Tina and Nikita Sutradhar, artist-designer Joohi Mehta, embroidery specialist Renu Sahu, and 13th-generation master artisans.
Blending Tradition with Contemporary Design
Walking through Chorus reveals a carefully curated collection where traditional techniques meet modern sensibilities. The space features basketware shaped like bronze vessels, shoes made from cactus leather, candle stands that transform into martini glasses, and cold-pressed soaps. The fashion collection immediately captures attention with pieces like a light-blue cocktail dress featuring heavily embellished upper half and accordion-shaped lower section.
The brand's approach to sustainability is evident throughout, featuring a one-shoulder dress created from leftover textile waste and upcycled denim jackets. Swali describes craft as "a container of our culture" that tells stories of the past while teaching about community and collective identity. She emphasizes that Indian crafts are versatile, global, modern, and porous—seamlessly fitting into contemporary lives.
One striking example is their reinterpretation of jhalar (fringe), which has existed in India's design language for generations but had fallen out of favor. The Chorus team made jhalar more playful with layered movement and used micro pearls to make it virtually weightless. They've also revived reticella, a 17th-century needle lace technique that had nearly disappeared, and presented traditional basketry in innovative sculptural forms.
International Influence and Sustainable Innovation
Swali's extensive experience working with international luxury houses like Dior and Fendi through Chanakya School of Craft has significantly influenced Chorus's approach. These collaborations expanded their understanding of creative expression and demonstrated craft's versatility in adapting master skills to different visual vocabularies.
This global perspective informs their innovative sustainable initiatives. Chorus recently collaborated with UK startup Fevvers to create plant-based feathers for Stella McCartney, presented at Paris Fashion Week. This addresses the annual killing of over one million ostriches for leather and feathers. Their role involved strengthening the plant-based feather material and developing embroidery techniques for fashion applications.
The commitment to eco-friendly solutions extends throughout their operations. Chorus uses sequins made from flattened glass bottles and has worked with unconventional materials like silicon waste and pins for brands including Maison Margiela and Moschino. They've also created raffia from date palm waste, proving that sustainable material innovation is actively happening across India.
Swali acknowledges that while eco-friendly materials might carry a slightly higher premium, informed consumers are increasingly willing to pay for clean alternatives. She points to firms in Arunachal Pradesh and northern India working with fabrics derived from milk and soya waste as evidence of the growing innovation in sustainable textiles.
As Chorus establishes itself in Mumbai's cultural landscape, it stands as a testament to India's position as a reservoir of craft knowledge and a beacon for sustainable fashion innovation, blending traditional techniques with contemporary design and environmental consciousness.
