Colour Burst

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 brand’s 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 country’s love for colour,but I had to tweak it a bit to fit Western aesthetics,” she explains. The result was a success,with celebrity clientele like Hillary Clinton,picking up her creations.

Currently,Moksha products are available at select outlets in India,including Khazana at Taj Hotels around the country and Istha Hotel boutiques.

After the exhibition,Kilachand plans to start retailing out of more stores in Mumbai,followed by New Delhi,Bangalore,Pune,Vadodara,Ahmedabad and Chandigarh.

In future,Kilachand hopes to create a wider range of India-inspired garments,including kurtas and dupattas. “I’m 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.