Legacy reimagined: How Nilam India blends tradition and everyday elegance

What began as a small workshop in Dehradun has found a new chapter with Nilam India. Founded by Jameela Iyer with a deep belief in handcraft, the label went quiet after her passing, until her granddaughter, Sanghamitra Ghosh, brought the craft back to life. Today, she continues that legacy through collections inspired by places, memories and everyday moments.

How Chandratal Lake Inspired Sky Full of Stars

As she launches two new collections—Sky Full of Stars and Shaam – The Sunset Collection—Sanghamitra shares what inspired the launch and how those inspirations are reflected in the colours and designs.

“We love sunsets and hence Shaam – The Sunset Collection. There’s something about that time of the day that makes you slow down and feel a little lighter. We wanted to bring that feeling into the collection, so we picked those warm oranges, yellows and reds and played with them through our prints and dyes. We also designed elements related to sunsets and carved them into wooden blocks to translate onto fabric,” she shares.

The Sky Full of Stars collection started with Sanghamitra’s visit to Chandratal Lake. “The night sky there was just beautiful. It got us thinking about how we used to watch the moon and stars as kids. We wanted to bring that feeling into the collection, creating moons, stars, clouds and galaxies, and translate it onto fabric and comfortable clothing through hand block prints on 100 per cent cotton,” she recollects.

Her choice of colours, motifs and patterns for each collection depends on what inspired her at that point. “Sometimes it’s a place we’ve visited, sometimes it’s a feeling, a colour we’ve seen, or even something from everyday life. From there, we play around with the colours and motifs, we design those thoughts and finally design the wooden blocks to print,” she explains.

Nilam India focuses on slow and conscious fashion, and this approach influences the way they design and produce each piece. “For us, slow fashion is really about being thoughtful at every step. We don’t want to make clothes just for the sake of adding more products or building collections. We think about the design, the fabric, the print and how someone will actually wear it in their everyday life. We also make small batches and work closely with our artisans, so there’s a lot of thought and care that goes into every piece.”

The brand is known for block prints, hand screen prints, bandhani and handloom, on silhouettes that feel easy, modern and comfortable for everyday wear. “The idea is to make Indian craft feel like something you can wear every day, without giving it much thought or waiting for any occasion,” she adds.

Rs 1,500 onwards. Available online.

—manuvipin@newindianexpress.com

@ManuVipin