Some people are gifted with a creative gene, allowing them to explore their talent through various mediums. Shirin Mann, Creative Director and founder of India’s first designer jutti label NEEDLEDUST, has followed its success with her new relaxed clothing line SAND by Shirin. She spoke exclusively to The Sunday Guardian about the launch. Excerpts:
Q. What is the story of SAND by Shirin?
A.SAND or Such-A-Nice-Day is a celebration of all things simple, unrestrained and fluid. This brand is an extension of my personal aesthetic and was born because I felt a gap in the Indian industry. No one uses skin-friendly fabrics as per prevailing weather conditions. At SAND, we work with soft and lightweight organic linens, because I wanted to change the perception that linen is a stiff and ‘not summer friendly’ fabric. To further my vision, we use organic cotton like double lawn cotton, linen gauze, cotton gauze, among other plant based vegan fabrics.
Shirin Mann
The other important aspect of SAND’s line are the comfortable silhouettes. My garments offer fluid fits because they are very feminine, flowy, and make you feel confident about your body. SAND began before the pandemic hit, but eight months of lockdown gave me time to research and develop extra silhouettes and styles. This allowed me to create the ideal collection for its launch.
Q. What category of clothing would you classify yours as?
A. At SAND, we create versatile ensembles that effortlessly move from work to play, brunch to dinner and boardroom to bar. Our breezy silhouettes include airy tops, flowy dresses, fluid fit bandeaus, size flattering pants, overlays and more.
Q. Please tell us about the brand’s eco-conscious philosophy. What steps are you taking to ensure sustainability?
A.SAND, a conscious, sustainable luxury label, uses fabrics made from aloe vera, eucalyptus, rose, soybean protein and banana along with organic pure linens, cottons and hemp. The label also stands for minimal waste, premium handcrafted quality and impactful packaging that follows ethical standards, is made with paper, and certified by ECOenergy and EMAS.
Q. What is the USP of SAND by Shirin?
A.I believe SAND breaks conventional beauty standards and plays by its own rules—where all shapes are beautiful, all bodies remarkable and all women extraordinary. Unfortunately, our clothes are often the biggest body-shamers. When we gain or lose weight, our clothing duly lets us know. With so many opinions on our bodies in the world, our clothes need not have one. The clothing at SAND aims to make you feel confident, fierce and beautiful. Our primary colour palette ranges from sand, naturals, ivory, dusty pink, mints and mustards, which are cooling, not just for the weather, but to the mind and soul too. We took colour therapy into consideration while picking the colour palette for SAND. Further, we design silhouettes that flatter every Indian body of any age, size, type, and style or aesthetic.
Q. What have been the biggest challenges you have faced so far and how have you overcome them?
A.The pandemic had a massive impact on business. At that time, SAND had not begun so we continued with operations for NEEDLEDUST. The lockdown was a big challenge but gave us time to reset and re-think our business choices. It inspired us to think anew for NEEDLEDUST and adequately prepare for the launch of SAND.
Q. Please share a few rewarding moments from your entrepreneurial journey so far?
A.Whenever I get this question, I think deep! Was it my 35 under 35 award, or the women of excellence award or was it when I opened my first NEEDLEDUST store? Could it be associating with Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone for their weddings or a big collaboration like NEEDLEDUST with Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla? It is so hard to pick one because each holds a very special place in my heart. However, the true joy and satisfaction lies in the love that NEEDLEDUST receives from patrons across the world. It is an amazing feeling to work with an age-old craft and be part of its revival. The most special aspect is that we launched NEEDLEDUST when nobody else was creating designer juttis and experimented with the craft to create something modern yet traditional. Today we are shipping globally with stores in Delhi and Chandigarh, and Mumbai on the cards soon. The future is exciting because SAND has already received a lot of love from patrons and I look forward to this exciting journey.
Q. What is the price range of your products and where do you retail them?
A.With SAND, we aim to do beautiful luxe clothing that is also affordable. Hence, the price ranges from Rs 3,000 to Rs 7,500. Our collection is available on SandbyShirin.com, shipping across the globe.