How does Delhi-based slow fashion label Brij Bari stay rooted to its ethical production process?

Brij Bari is rooted to a clean and resourceful production and design process which is only helping their connect
Brij Bari's Nargis collection is exquisite
Brij Bari's Nargis collection is exquisite

ndependent fashion labels are taking the onus of being authentic and transparent about their production process, and it only makes us happier. Take Brij Bari, for instance. The Delhi-based label which is not even a year old is already taking all the right leaps. The brand exclusively focuses on mulmul sarees, and is very particular about sticking to an environmentally-sound process of design and production. “The label is like an homage to my mother; some of my earliest memories are of me trailing behind my mum holding her pallu. Brij Bari is a way of cherishing the past,” says Aanchal Mittal, who founded Brij Bari with her sister Swati. The label just came up with their new spring/summer lineup called Nargis which is the perfect summer pick. The range features stunning, minimalist saris in shades of yellow and off-white.

The Janhvi sari from the Nargis collection
The Janhvi sari from the Nargis collection

“We wanted to make pieces which are for everyone, including our mums and grandmums. What usually happens when we look at saris for older women is that we only see dull or really drab colours, it’s like you are pushing them towards something dreary. We have created a line-up that’s really wearable, irrespective of what age you are,” Aanchal reveals. Brij Bari’s saris are only made with the finest quality mulmul sourced from across the country.

The polka-dotted Mehr sari from Brij Baei
The polka-dotted Mehr sari from Brij Baei

“We work with weavers a lot, we work with units from Rajasthan as well; sustainability is really important to us which is why handmade saris are so relevant now. We are also really particular about a clean, unpolluted production process, be it washing or dying the fabric to block-printing,” we are told. 

We noticed some stunning block print work on Brij Bari’s Nargis collection and Aanchal revealed she’s been a connoisseur of the heritage art since college. The designer started collecting blocks since her NIFT days and has amassed a huge number of wooden design blocks from across the country. “Even as a kid my mum would take me to see block printing being done and we learnt about it up close, that’s what got me really interested in the method,” she tells us.

The Gauri sari from Brij Bari
The Gauri sari from Brij Bari

On Brij Bari’s Instagram page you will find their newest line-up being showcased by regular women and not runway faces. Aanchal tells us it was a conscious decision, as the brand has always been about and for women from real life. 

“Many a times we’ll see a great sari being modelled on someone who looks so different than the women around us, and we think, ‘oh, it’s looks so great on her, it may not look the same on me.’ Because we do not all have the same body type, and I personally don’t relate to that. For Brij Bari campaigns we work with women from around us, women who the line-up is aimed at. In fact, in some of the pictures you’ll find me!. They are completely unedited and authentic,” the designer remarks. Also note: Brij Bari only relies on a zero-waste packaging process, even in its workshops and if you order online the label sends you Tulsi seeds along with your saris for you to plant, as the plants produce oxygen at night. The Nargis collection starts from Rs 2,500.

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