ILAMRA is A Beautiful Fashion Brand That's Reviving The Indigenous Textile Crafts of Ancient India

We are incredibly excited to celebrate this beautiful sustainable fashion brand ILAMRA founded by Trishala and Yashila. These beautiful phenoms work with a third-generation Kalamkari unit in the village of Pedana, Andhra Pradesh. This is the only unit in all of India that is practicing the art of Kalamkari using natural dyes, the way it was originally and ancestrally crafted.

Check out this interview:

When and why did you start Ilamra?

ILAMRA started as a conversation between the two of us - Trishala and Yashila back in 2017. Born in a household of people who got creative with everything around them - old saris, empty cardboard boxes and food leftovers, thinking creatively came naturally to us and with it the zeal to do something around it. We both knew we would definitely end up working in the creative professions but just did not know exactly what it would be and when.

In one such conversation in 2017 around being inspired and our impeccable sync - we decided to start a lifestyle magazine together as we both enjoy reading and writing alike (not without the confidence that we had unique offerings to give to the world). A couple of sessions together - we shifted our plans and decided to make clothing instead. Owing to the multiple dupatta draping days as kids, upcycling mom and aunt’s saris to make brand-new heritage lehengas, playing mix-match, a reflection of our skill-sets and things of such ilk. ILAMRA is the intersection of our memories, inspiration and passion - to make an impact, in whatever capacity the universe allows us to.

While the idea was conceived in 2017, our current line of work with traditional Kalamkari hand block printing only came out in January, 2019.

How do you both define sustainability?

Trishala - I believe sustainability is a quality that you need to nurture within yourself and inspire those around you to indulge in as well. Sustainability is quite the buzz word right now which is very good; but there is a lot of green washing that keeps happening around it and educating yourself about all aspects of sustainability is essential.

Sustainability is a conscious choice that one has to make every single day of the year. Every day, in every way you need to look for solutions that would leave the least possible mark on the planet. People often misconstrue that being sustainable is expensive; that is a myth which is the result of greenwashing companies trying to push an idea that owning their product is what will make you sustainable.

Sustainability is as cheap as not buying what you don't need! It's as simple as switching off the fan when it's breezy, repeating your outfits, getting maximum wear out of that Zara jacket you got for yourself, carrying your old water bottle with you everywhere you go, saving all the plastic packaging that ends up at your home and reusing or donating it, using old spray bottles to store sanitizing liquid, growing plants in old bottles, etc. The list of ways in which you can be sustainable is endless.

Yashila - The idea of sustainability for me keeps changing every year, probably owing to the grueling incidents in the climate landscape as well as my day-to-day interaction with books, documentaries, and articles pertaining to the environment.

Currently, my definition of sustainability is our ability to provide a better quality and wholesome future to the next generation. And this ability depends on a rigorous daily practice of being aware, spreading awareness and doing the most we can.

While carrying a tote bag with a reusable water bottle is great, it is now time to stay on top of the bigger corporations that are a part of our lives, the investments they are making and the causes they support. For example - Which company are we using for our banking needs? Which automobile company are we supporting? What are the kinds of insurance policies we are tied to? Which architecture/design firms are we hiring to build our homes? And then in turn, what are their brand purposes and is it all aligning with the idea of sustainability…

How has your culture impacted/inspired your brand?

Well haha, the most straight-forward answer to this would be the colours, patterns and overall aesthetic values.

But a more nuanced impact that culture has had on the brand is in our business operations and model. For instance, our habit of upcycling saris and old clothes (which is a very Indian household thing) has now translated into an ‘Upcycling Project’ we do every once in a while on our Instagram feed - where clients can choose a leftover fabric of their choice and get it made in a selected range of patterns. This is now a brand signature and the response for it is always overwhelming!

Paint a vivid picture of what it's like to have a modern sustainable fashion brand in Hyderabad, India from a local and global perspective!

Locally and by that we specifically mean Hyderabad, we have been very very fortunate to have received a lot of support and cheer since we launched. The community in Hyderabad is small, quite close-knit (everyone knows everyone) and welcoming. While this was one side of the coin, raising awareness about sustainable fashion (the need for it, behind the process and lead times) and justifying the price points was a task - is still an ongoing one on some occasions. But in the last year, there has been such a welcome change in how people perceive conscious products - especially ones that have their origin in the same city!

It always gives us massive joy when someone from a different part of the world sees value in our products, buys it especially for special occasions and makes it a point to send us pictures - that is the real deal for us. A little glimpse of it can be found here - (link The World in ILAMRA Page)! The global audience love an Indian print in a western silhouette - rightly done it is a perfect marriage of eastern and western sartorial cultures (or more like the world meets India ahaha, which happens to be the brands tagline :) )

How has the brand shifted since the start of the pandemic?

Like many businesses in the world, ILAMRA too witnessed dwindling numbers - especially and exactly at the time when we were supposed to be picking up given that we started our journey with Kalamkari only in 2019.

Luckily for us, we swiftly picked up on the pulse and branched into a magazine to help the brand survive and tell stories that have impacted us and might bring some warmth to the person reading it. We identified that people in the pandemic times were looking for someone who would listen to them, show them a ray of certainty and give them some soup for the soul. We nourished the audience with an interesting line-up of content pieces. An article called ‘Living a History’ to remind them that we were in this together, a satirical series called ‘Conversations’ which threw light on the acceptance of the present times with a pinch of humour and more.

What are your goals/aspirations for the future?

The larger goal is to be a one-stop-shop for all things sustainable in the lifestyle segment. It is also to be that company that is synonymous with the tag - ‘Best brand to buy sustainable clothing’ from and also to be that brand that makes some very cool content.