Beneath the surface: this new collection explores hidden roots, resilience and movement in craft

Beneath every thriving landscape lies a hidden network that sustains life. Roots anchor, nourish and connect, creating the conditions for growth while remaining largely unseen. This idea of invisible support became the starting point for Roots Routes, Studio Medium’s latest collection, which looks below the surface to explore resilience, movement and interconnectedness through textile and craft.

Textile duo Studio Medium translates unseen root networks into richly textured garments that embody growth, resilience and quiet movement beneath the surface

For designers Riddhi Jain and Dhruv Satija, the fascination lay not simply in the appearance of roots but in what they represent. “Roots have always fascinated us because they exist largely unseen, yet they are responsible for anchoring, nourishing and sustaining life,” Riddhi says. “We were interested in this hidden world beneath the surface, the networks that support growth and connection.” What especially interested the designers was the contrast between how roots are perceived and how they actually behave. “Roots are often thought of as static, as something that keeps a plant or person in place. But actually they are very dynamic. They are constantly growing, piercing earth to support what’s above the ground.”

This understanding shaped the collection’s visual language. Drawing from everything from dense fibrous networks to deep-reaching taproots, Riddhi and Dhruv translated the branching pathways, irregular intersections and layered structures of root systems into textiles rather than literal imagery. Movement became a key theme, expressed through surfaces that appear to travel across the garment. “We were interested in capturing their organic unpredictability rather than creating literal representations,” Dhruv explains. “The collection became less about illustrating roots and more about embodying their behaviour.” The result is a body of work that suggests growth and transformation rather than directly depicting the natural forms that inspired it.

To bring these ideas into the fabric itself, the designers employed techniques such as Guntai shibori, embroidery and surface manipulation. Together, they create textiles rich in texture and dimension, evoking the layered complexity of the underground world. Guntai shibori, in particular, introduced raised lines and irregular formations that echo natural growth patterns, while embroidery added depth and subtle pathways across the garments. “The technique allowed us to introduce texture directly into the fabric, creating raised lines and subtle variations that feel almost geological,” say Riddhi and Dhruv. “We were interested in creating surfaces that reward closer observation, much like the hidden complexity of root systems themselves.”

These richly crafted textiles are balanced by Studio Medium’s signature silhouettes — relaxed, functional forms that allow the craftsmanship to take centre stage. As the designers put it, “There is complexity in the making, but simplicity in the wearing.”

Grounding the collection further is a palette inspired by soil, stone and mineral deposits, with shades of clay, rust, charcoal and weathered earth lending a sense of permanence and connection to the landscape. Yet Roots Routes is ultimately about more than colour, technique or form. It is a reflection on the unseen structures that support life and the forces that shape growth over time, revealing how what remains hidden is often what matters most.

“Roots remind us that what sustains us is often invisible,” add Riddhi and Dhruv. “We hope people feel grounded yet free when they wear these pieces, carrying with them a reminder of resilience and the many unseen connections that shape our lives.”

Prices start at Rs 10,000. Available online.

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