Cord brings fusion edit Folklore at its new Banjara Hills store in Hyderabad

In every day life, being whisked away by nostalgia is akin to a cherished detour down memory lane. You revisit not just mere moments, but entire worlds — people, places, things and experiences, all preserved as timeless treasures. For the imaginative design duo, Neha Singh and Pranav Guglani, memories from travels and cultural expeditions hold the key to inspiration under their label Cord.

Founded in 2015, the contemporary label has been crafting timeless, functional, and slow fashion pieces featuring indigenous crafts like hand smocking, block printing, and screen printing. Its latest collection, Folklore brings contemporary ensembles that narrate tales of tradition and echoes of cherished yesterdays.

Neha shares on the theme, “The edit is inspired from the past, the books that we read, people we met, poetry we read, from dreaming about beauty and more. It’s not looking at the past through longing but reflecting it with rose-tinted optimism. Our expeditions often land us in vintage shops — from Berlin to Udaipur that promise pieces that are truly unique and tell a tale of craftsmanship and past. We often ponder what lives such collectable pieces must have lived, who may have held them and what are their stories.”

As the label believes in paying homage to the past, the best way to do that is by choosing earthy colours which run in the DNA of the brand. In Folklore too, the hues feature soillike tones of cream, pastels, greens, mustards, indigo, brown and beige on chic ensembles like sally tops, tier shirts, hop skirts, top-stitched pants, quilted jackets, buttoned-up dresses and more.

Telling us about the making, Pranav shares, “We’ve worked extensively with cotton and linen mainly because of its durability, biodegradability and climate favourability. These fabrics are also functional and comfortable. This season we’ve used brighter colours because we want to bring in the mood of festivity with this collection. The motifs are inspired by folk traditions coupled with quirky embroideries.”

The well-travelled duo has frequently visited Hyderabad — from walking the narrow lanes of the Charminar and a royal trip to the Taj Falaknuma to biryani meals at Spicy Venue and more. The city’s love catapulted to the opening of a new store here in Banjara Hills very recently. “One of the reasons why we opened a store here is to come home, to a place we know well and have loved. I spent my entire formative years around St Francis, Be gumpet and 10 Downing Street, so these places bring a sense of belongingness to me. The city has been a constant inspiration for us. We get a lot of people who support and love what we do,” Neha tells us. She grew up in Hyderabad and finds her roots here while Pranav has found a home for himself in Neha.

Together, the duo have found their tribe in the city and have been waiting for the right time to mark their presence. “We also see Hyderabad as a destination for conscious consumers and have been feeling and hearing about it for a long time. With all of these factors combined, we had to be in the heart of the city at Banjara Hills,” Neha shares on a concluding note.

Rs. 6,000 upwards. In store, Banjara Hills. Also available online. 
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