ABOUT US
As a sustainable design brand , Variously is committed to putting hand workers economy at its forefront by choosing to exclusively only work with hand crafted techniques that explore minimal design elements rooted with cultural connections. Being sustainable means supporting heritage based processes that are either on the verge of extinct or unable to bear the brunt of fast fashion demands. Choosing to explore concepts that explore high design which is collaborative in nature, we seek beauty in slow made textiles that bring people & their roots together. Based out of Greater Detroit area in Michigan, Variously exclusively collaborates with master artisans & supports ethical production practices to develop custom capsule collections in slow made textile based accessories.Since our inception in 2016, Variously has collaborated with 12-15 artisan families who are 3rd / 4th generation heritage weavers, speciality dyers, heritage printers. 80% of our work force with whom we collaborate are women. To ensure higher biodegradable content in our textile , we use only the finest quality of certified natural yarns ethically sourced from different parts of the world like India, Australia, Belgium. and earth friendly dyes which conserve water resources and are free of toxic chemicals.
Variously is founded by Anjali Purohit , who is born & raised in India and has lived & worked in Italy, exhibited in Germany and calls Michigan her home since more than a decade. Affiliation with artisans for Anjali started in 2001, when her home state Gujarat, India was impacted by massive earthquake. As a design student volunteer for UNDP through her design school National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi where she was pursuing Accessory Design , Anjali was working as a volunteer with several other students on craft based design project for artisans rehabilitation project who were impacted by the earthquake. Even several years later having created collections for established retailers like Next UK, Pottery Barn and worked for design houses in Milan , Mumbai & New Delhi, this experience stayed with her and enabled her to shift her focus entirely on artisan based supply chain for which she started Variously. Besides working on his sustainable design label , Anjali also volunteers her time to enable local engagement in sustainable fashion domain for Fashion Revolution Organization.
As an independent brand Variously launched its collection at Paris Fashion Week in 2018. Enabling transparency in our production process is inherent to our brand ethos. For the same, we have created short documentaries shot on-site. ' Resa Thread ' our first documentary had been showcased officially at the screening of Fashion Film Festival Milano 2018 and our second documentary Confluence has been chosen at LA Fashion Film Festival 2019 for Official Screening. Variously's founder Anjali Purohit was also chosen as the Artist in Residence at Eileen Fisher Michigan store & as a stake holder has attended Global Artisans Summit held at United Nations,NYC in 2017.
Recently The Glossary Co interviewed Anjali Purohit , Founder of Variously.
Excerpts below :
Hi Anjali ! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Based in Michigan, I am an accessory designer who loves to explore diverse cultural connections through minimal design elements. If I was not a designer, I would definitely be doing something with food.
What is your background (i.e. education, previous jobs, experiences that led you to create)?
Growing up, I was a complete bookworm and was always attracted towards creative industries. Born and raised in city of Ahmedabad in India, I moved to Delhi to pursue Accessory Design from National Institute of Fashion Technology & Masters in Showroom Design from Nuova Academia Di Belle Arti, Milano, Italy.I have worked in roles of design, product development, production, sourcing, branding & art direction for fashion and home accessory collections retailed at Next UK, Pottery Barn, several high end luxury labels & design studios. I have also been involved hands-on on several artisan based design projects which gave me direct experience on developing collections from scratch, getting exposure to day to day challenges and possibilities of such projects and scaling it to a production level. Hand crafted techniques have a rich legacy that directly impacts the economic & cultural heritage of artisan clusters which is extremely unique and inspire me as a designer.
What led you to start Variously? What drew you to textiles?
Fast fashion is forcing people to adopt cookie cutter consumption at low price that changes every 3 - 5 weeks, the cost of which both people at the other end of the supply chain and the environment is paying. There has to be a mindful way of channeling the amazing legacy of craftsmanship that connects people to unique culture based stories. Being born and raised in India, I have always been drawn to visual culture which is what I look for organically in things that inspire me. India has one of the most extensive history with textiles and it was a natural transition for me to develop more in this domain as I have also worked in several textile based projects before with artisans.
Focusing on sustainability and ethical production, how do you decide which artisan communities to work with?
I spend a lot of time researching and developing one on one relations with each and every artisan community I collaborate with. It is very important to understand each other’s methods of working, compliance, standards, certifications involved, level of ethical working standards, wages provided and make it a two way process creatively as well. I also look for inclusivity to local communities for example, number of yarn spinners, dyers, farmers as well who can be impacted by choosing a particular yarn or dye type. This also helps me choose one technique over another and set our priorities as a sustainable label. It’s all a work in progress and very time intensive as we are a small company with a large heart.
What does your creation process look like?
My creative process is mostly intuitive and inspired by my personal collection of books on textiles, architecture and graphic design which I have collected over past 10+yrs.Music, movies, food and travel experiences also largely influence my creative process and I hope to keep it as organic as possible.
What makes you passionate about the work that you do?
Knowing that a single piece of work can create impact economically and culturally to so many people that are involved in its supply chain, that is what drives me and keeps the passion going strong each day. Scalability of an idea, to make it production complaint is the bottom line for me as a design/entrepreneur.
What are some of the setbacks or challenges you face?
Logistics and time management is the main challenge. Creating awareness about sustainability that is genuine is very important as the market is flooded with surplus & buzz products all the time. As an entrepreneur one has to wear several hats each day so creating a priority is very important and to be as organized as possible. Also accepting failures & learning from the same has been very vital personally.
What women bring you inspiration?
Women in my family inspire me for their level of composure, grace and grit to face any and every situation.
Do you have any resources that have been helpful to you that we should know of?
As a designer I feel it’s important to identify things that inspire and connect with you personally, and currently I feel anything to do with wellness is enduring. Books, food, music that brings wellness is my current go to resource.
What are some of your favorite places in Detroit?
Eastern Market, Detroit River Front
Read the full interview https://www.theglossary.co/interviews/2019/4/4/designer-profile-anjali-purohit-founder-of-variously-detroit
Excerpts below :
Hi Anjali ! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Based in Michigan, I am an accessory designer who loves to explore diverse cultural connections through minimal design elements. If I was not a designer, I would definitely be doing something with food.
What is your background (i.e. education, previous jobs, experiences that led you to create)?
Growing up, I was a complete bookworm and was always attracted towards creative industries. Born and raised in city of Ahmedabad in India, I moved to Delhi to pursue Accessory Design from National Institute of Fashion Technology & Masters in Showroom Design from Nuova Academia Di Belle Arti, Milano, Italy.I have worked in roles of design, product development, production, sourcing, branding & art direction for fashion and home accessory collections retailed at Next UK, Pottery Barn, several high end luxury labels & design studios. I have also been involved hands-on on several artisan based design projects which gave me direct experience on developing collections from scratch, getting exposure to day to day challenges and possibilities of such projects and scaling it to a production level. Hand crafted techniques have a rich legacy that directly impacts the economic & cultural heritage of artisan clusters which is extremely unique and inspire me as a designer.
What led you to start Variously? What drew you to textiles?
Fast fashion is forcing people to adopt cookie cutter consumption at low price that changes every 3 - 5 weeks, the cost of which both people at the other end of the supply chain and the environment is paying. There has to be a mindful way of channeling the amazing legacy of craftsmanship that connects people to unique culture based stories. Being born and raised in India, I have always been drawn to visual culture which is what I look for organically in things that inspire me. India has one of the most extensive history with textiles and it was a natural transition for me to develop more in this domain as I have also worked in several textile based projects before with artisans.
Focusing on sustainability and ethical production, how do you decide which artisan communities to work with?
I spend a lot of time researching and developing one on one relations with each and every artisan community I collaborate with. It is very important to understand each other’s methods of working, compliance, standards, certifications involved, level of ethical working standards, wages provided and make it a two way process creatively as well. I also look for inclusivity to local communities for example, number of yarn spinners, dyers, farmers as well who can be impacted by choosing a particular yarn or dye type. This also helps me choose one technique over another and set our priorities as a sustainable label. It’s all a work in progress and very time intensive as we are a small company with a large heart.
What does your creation process look like?
My creative process is mostly intuitive and inspired by my personal collection of books on textiles, architecture and graphic design which I have collected over past 10+yrs.Music, movies, food and travel experiences also largely influence my creative process and I hope to keep it as organic as possible.
What makes you passionate about the work that you do?
Knowing that a single piece of work can create impact economically and culturally to so many people that are involved in its supply chain, that is what drives me and keeps the passion going strong each day. Scalability of an idea, to make it production complaint is the bottom line for me as a design/entrepreneur.
What are some of the setbacks or challenges you face?
Logistics and time management is the main challenge. Creating awareness about sustainability that is genuine is very important as the market is flooded with surplus & buzz products all the time. As an entrepreneur one has to wear several hats each day so creating a priority is very important and to be as organized as possible. Also accepting failures & learning from the same has been very vital personally.
What women bring you inspiration?
Women in my family inspire me for their level of composure, grace and grit to face any and every situation.
Do you have any resources that have been helpful to you that we should know of?
As a designer I feel it’s important to identify things that inspire and connect with you personally, and currently I feel anything to do with wellness is enduring. Books, food, music that brings wellness is my current go to resource.
What are some of your favorite places in Detroit?
Eastern Market, Detroit River Front
Read the full interview https://www.theglossary.co/interviews/2019/4/4/designer-profile-anjali-purohit-founder-of-variously-detroit
