Injiri - Designer Spotlight
Chinar Farooqui, Founder of Injiri
Founded in Jaipur by Chinar Farooqui in 2009, Injiri is a one of a kind clothing brand that stands proudly as the antithesis of fast fashion. Injiri celebrates the processes that go into hand-woven and handcrafted Indian textiles, with each item of clothing that is designed and handmade by Farooqui and her team of skilled artisan craftspeople having a unique story to it, with the end design reflective of all the different aspects of the journey of its creation.
Injiri directly translates as ‘real India’ a feeling that it etched in everything the brand does and makes. Farooqui is inspired by everyday objects as well as the history and traditions of Indian crafts and when a new collection is being created her and her team will explore the fabric and take time to enjoy the journey the creative process takes them through. Taking time to do this has a huge influence on the look and feel of the end collection meaning it’s as much inspired by the creative process as it is by Farooqui’s original idea.
Farooqui has developed a network of handloom collectives across India from Gujarat to West Bengal who work with natural dyes and organic cotton to create the designs. Each of these collectives will form an integral part of the local economy, with the fabric they use being unique to their own region. This lends a social aspect to Injiri’s designs and adds a sense of identity to the textiles, which are then reflected in the shape and style of the final items of clothing.
Farooqui grew up in Rajasthan and she hails her influence for Injiri back to her childhood home when her mother would fill their house with handmade textiles and objects gathered at local craft markets. Being surrounded by such items taught Farooqui to love and appreciate the beauty of simple, well-crafted design and this is very much reflective in her work.
Personal connections to the brands and designers we work with are extremely important to us at Chapel Collection and we travel to India multiple times each year to stay in close contact with the designers whose collections we sell via our online store and pop up shops. The ethical and sustainable nature of a brand is of paramount important to us and that’s why we love working with designs such as Injiri. By experiencing their craft and design processes we have absolute confidence that everything they do and make is in line with our own beliefs that champion local crafts and natural dyes, thereby supporting local economies and strengthening local, often remote communities. Helping the people that live there to continue to make a good living from their livelihoods.
We have been working with Chinar Farooqui for a number of years and never fail to be blown away by the beauty of her new collections. We’re proud to be the only UK stockist of Injiri and you can find a selection of the most recently added Injiri designs on our website here.
