Colour burst

When Juhi Kilachand landed in New York in 2000,what struck her most was the uniformity of the womens outfits there.

When Juhi Kilachand landed in New York in 2000,what struck her most was the uniformity of the womens outfits there. They all wore black all the time, she says,And I was very grateful for Indian textiles which come in such a variety of colours.

Kilachand realised that a business opportunity lay here,especially since American women had recently taken to wearing long,woollen scarves in solid colours what they called Pashminas which broke the black-on-black monotony a bit. She began designing and selling woollen scarves in bright paisleys and prints which proved to be an instant success.

Kilachand is in India for a brief exhibition of her label Moksha Fine Wovens in Mumbai,and the exhibits include scarves,shawls,tunics and jackets,all featuring the vividly-hued prints that have become the brands trademark. Strangely enough,however,it was only when she decided to make the scarves that Kilachand discovered her talent for textile design. I was working as a food scientist in Pune and was thoroughly bored. I began looking for other career avenues that I could explore. I took inspiration from our countrys love for colour,but I had to tweak it a bit to fit Western aesthetics, she explains,So I replaced rani pink with fuschia pink,emerald green with a mild blue green. The result was a success,with celebrity clientele like Hillary Clinton picking up her creations,and in India,actor Shabana Azmi having a collection of her scarves.

Currently,Moksha products are available at select outlets in the country,including Khazana at Taj Hotels around the country,Ananda in the Himalayas and Istha Hotel boutiques. Post the exhibition,Kilachand plans to start retailing out of more stores in Mumbai,followed by New Delhi,Chandigarh,Bangalore,Pune,Vadodara and Ahmedabad.

Until spring this year,Mokshas creations had been made almost exclusively of fine merino wool,but now they include scarves in cotton,silk and linen. It makes them less seasonal. In fact,it was our Indian customers who requested products in cotton and silk. In the future,Kilachand hopes to create a wider range of India-inspired garments,including kurtas and dupattas. Im proud of my roots; that is why I even named the company Moksha. Lots of people advised me against that move,but I said that if they can pronounce French names,then Moksha is certainly not going to be a problem, she laughs.

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Colour burst

When Juhi Kilachand landed in New York in 2000,what struck her most was the uniformity of the womens outfits there.

When Juhi Kilachand landed in New York in 2000,what struck her most was the uniformity of the womens outfits there.