We made a day trip to Pune. The 3 hour journey flew by quickly. Mostly because our driver drove like a maniac, and having sat at the back of the Innova (a brand by Toyota popular in India), I had this disturbing feeling that some of my internal organs felt slightly displaced.

Anyway, the journey was worth it to meet the über quirky and peppy designer, Karishma Shahani Khan, whose personality completely reflects in her label Ka/Sha. As S9 Muses, we have been curating this label ever since we launched and had our first pop-up shop in January 2014.

To give you an insight into her label, aiming to create heirlooms, Karishma’s ethos matches our own, focusing on giving each garment its own uniqueness, either through storytelling, upcycling, adding a wondrous weave or an atypical stitch, and as multi-coloured and diverse in its material and techniques. There is evidence of love in details; love for choice. With the use of different exquisite Indian crafts, she transforms an unsuspecting everyday textile into a modern, experimental garment that is a delight to wear. Completely out of the box, yet totally accessible. For those who dare to dream.

As soon as we reached Pune, we met with Karishma and her team and devoured a perfect lunch of chaats and pani puris all downed with ‘chaas’ (or buttermilk). We then headed to her studio where we saw her beautiful collection in the making. Known for her layering, each look in her lookbook consists of numerous items of clothing, displaying a seemingly complicated yet purposely compiled collection.

Being a part of the audience at her Lakmé Spring/Summer 2014 catwalk as well as her recent 2015 catwalk collection (titled ‘Neel’), I can safely say that her catwalks deliver an experience in itself. Layers upon layers of colour, prints, separates and spot-on foot-tapping music accompanying the models down the ramp make for a very excited stare. I was awestruck, almost childlike, with her collection ‘Neel’ and have voiced my opinion already here. I cannot wait to receive my new sari ordered from her latest collection.

(PS – If you wish to come have a look or purchase a sari from Ka/Sha, please get in touch and we can send you details of our next pop-up shop!)