Our mantra is to bring beautiful drapes within the reach of every home
Pali specialises in the creation of premium, exclusive interior fabrics, drawing from a rich palette of hand-drawn inspirations and colour work. With a deep focus on pattern and design trend forecasting, Pali caters to a broad spectrum of industries, including interiors, fashion, carpets, and haute couture, offering bespoke services from concept design to colour assistance and concept visualisation. At the heart of Pali’s philosophy is the belief that fabrics are not just materials but canvases that help craft unique spaces, embodying a story and a vision for each of its clients. Speaking to Fibre2Fashion, Founder & CEO Aparajita Ghosh discusses the curated boutique and a retail space.
With growing focus on sustainability, what all does the Indian industry needs to do?
Apart from working on materials, which are eco-friendly and sustainable, we need to also ensure these are durable and affordable too. Sustainable fabrics promote a healthy environment, so we must promote them during the trade fairs. Industries could promote and encourage usage of locally sourced natural fibre and plant-based dyes and further invest in developing ways to tap the local resources to deliver quality and scale.
Can you explain what exactly is Pali? What does it offer?
Pali is a curated boutique and a retail space which caters to home fabric needs as well as apparel. Fabrics are canvas to your space. We help you create your sense of space from ‘concept’ to ‘fabric’. Pal (पल) is moment, and i-is self, we promote living in the moment. Live the fabric and drapery life you have always dreamed.
Can you share the inspiration behind the creation of Pali? What motivated you to start this venture?
Pali portrays our years of relationship with fabrics and spaces. Beauty needs to be adorned. It is our mantra to bring beautiful drapes within the reach of every home. We dedicate our moments at Pali bringing the right fabrics to the right individuals. We explore space themes, like the classics, contemporary, modern, bohemian as well retro and vintage. Our favourite still being the classic timeless ones.
Our apparel line explores the contemporary silhouettes while working with traditional fabrics like block prints, bandhni, batik, sambalpuri ikats, pochampalli ikats, jamdanis from Bengal, muga silk from Assam, chanderi, pashminas, kasuti embroidery from Karnataka as well crafts from Northeast which we are presently exploring.
How does Pali differentiate itself from other similar platforms or services in the market?
Pali as a retail player would like to promote a sustainable range, both in home interiors and apparel arenas and we would like to offer it in a price bracket which is currently missing in this segment. We believe that would be possible once we scale and expand our footprint.
What specific problem or need does Pali aims to address for its users?
Pali aims to address the growing concern around the ephemeral nature of trends and fast fashion, advocating for the preservation of personal identity amidst these fleeting styles. By emphasising the importance of simplicity in daily wardrobes and encouraging the support of local artisans and businesses, Pali seeks to foster a sense of community and sustainability in the fashion and interiors industries. Furthermore, Pali recognises the profound impact that familiar fabrics (it could just be the drape, the motif or the feel of the chiffon, or that cotton from mummy ka aanchal) and motifs have on our memories and identities, underscoring the importance of making mindful choices about the textiles that adorn our homes and lives. Through its commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and the promotion of local skills, Pali not only offers unique and meaningful designs but also aims to keep the rich narratives of our past woven into the fabric of our future.
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced in building and growing Pali, and how have you overcome it?
The biggest challenge for us has been to generate a product line which appeals to our ever-growing customer profile ranging from a young 21 to a young at heart at 85. We approached it by bringing in a couple of variants within the same product family as well offering them within various price brackets. Our all-time favourites have been the housewarming gift kits, our frilly spring cushions, and our coffee table runners.
Can you share any success stories or case studies of users or businesses that have benefitted significantly from using Pali?
There are many stories from the families in GoodEarth Malhar who have been incredibly happy using our products and are now our repeat customers. What they love most is the fact that most of our fabrics are not high maintenance and just need a machine wash.
What are your future plans and goals for Pali? Are there any upcoming features or developments that users can look forward to?
Our future plan is to scale and make Pali a larger brand catering to multiple geographies. We are currently exploring manufacturing possibilities with multiple vendors to take this concept further.
What do you think about textile design education in India? Is there a scope for improvement?
I think the education sessions in our design institutes need to inculcate both design and marketing skills to provide the right perspective. The schools in every state of our country could also adapt a local craft as their uniform promoting thousands of craftspeople with livelihood and promoting a lot of indigenous craft.
What will be your advice to students who want to pursue their career in textile and fashion design?
I think this is the India moment. There is all possible resource, infrastructure as well funds structured around textiles, to launch you, thanks to the efforts from our current government. I would tell them: Dream big and take this rich cultural heritage of India forward.
Interviewer: Shilpi Panjabi
Published on: 12/03/2024
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
