Some say Indian fashion isn’t ‘modern’ or ‘global.’ What do you have to say?
I disagree. Look at the saree, it’s the most versatile garment in the world. It can be styled across cultures, occasions, and moods. Power, elegance, sensuality, the saree embodies transformation like no other garment. The problem is we confine Indian clothes to festivals. But a malmal kurta, patola scarf, or Kolhapuri chappal is daily culture. The saree doesn’t need a jacket to be cool, the jacket needs the saree. That’s the misconception we must break.
Has Torani become an archive of Indian stories?
Yes, intentionally so. Fashion, especially luxury fashion, must elevate culture. Every collection of mine is personal. Even if imperfect, I own it because the intent is honest. Torani is built on four pillars: People, Planet, Places, and the Past. People empower artisans. Places honour the regions we draw from. Planet emphasises slow fashion and mindful consumption. Past celebrates roots and mythology. That’s why Torani feels like a storybook, it’s designed to preserve and narrate our past.
Where do you draw your inspiration from personally?
I’m Sindhi, and my forefathers were from Tharparkar in modern-day Pakistan. My grandmother preserved a Sindhi choga, an oversized jacket worn by saints, which inspired my first collection. It’s an archival treasure that connects me to my roots. Inspiration doesn’t only come from royalty. It can come from home — a mother’s mangalsutra, a grandmother’s trunk, a forgotten fabric. Every craft in India, from ajrakh to patola to Banarasi, carries centuries of vision. The fact that something created hundreds of years ago still moves us today is the true power of Indian fashion — memory woven into fabric.
