What's in a name?

The simple answer: thousands of years of inspiration.

You may have noticed we recently launched our first fashion collection, full of brilliant colours for Autumn and Winter - because block print isn't just for Summertime!

You may have also been curious why each of our products has such a unique name. As a woman-founded business that sources from a lot of female-run businesses, we take a lot of pride in seeing women succeed globally. Additionally, we like to craft things the traditional way. It might not be the fastest way, or the most perfect way, but it honours the thousands of years of history, tradition, and craftsmanship that contributed to our designs. It is also the environmentally friendly and sustainable way.

So, given all that, we thought what better way to name our products than to pay homage to the Indian women of the past that inspire women of today. You may already know some of their stories, but you may not know them all. In that case, we would be so delighted if we even played the smallest part in helping cement these women's names in history. So, without further adieu, here's a brief description of the women we've paid a subtle nod to in our recent collection...

Our Sophia Ruffle Blouses are a nod to Sophia Duleep Singh (1876-1948), a groundbreaking British suffragette and exiled daughter of the Maharaja of the Sikh Empire know as "the Indian princess who fought for women to vote in the UK"; goddaughter to Queen Victoria; She was half Indian and half German/Ethiopian.

Our Gayatri Duffle Bags are a nod to Maharani Gayatri Devi (1919-2009), the last Queen of Jaipur, a politician in Indian Parliament, and a fashion icon. She was born in London and maintained close ties to the city throughout her life.

Our Faria Tunics are a nod to Dr. Reita Faria (1943-Present), the first Indian and Asian woman to win the Miss World pageant. She won in 1966. She was also the first qualified doctor to win the competition. Born in India, Dr. Faria completed medical studies at King's College in London and started her medical practice in Dublin, Ireland.

Our Rani Bows are a nod to Rani of Jhansi (1835-1858), the Warrior Queen of Jhansi and one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. A symbol of Indian nationalism, her actions inspired many of the events leading up to Indian independence from the British Empire.

Our Kalpana Jackets are a nod to Kalpana Chawla, PhD (1962-2003), an accomplished astronaut who sadly died in the Columbia space shuttle disaster. She was the first Indian-origin woman in space. Born in Punjab, India, Dr. Chawla eventually settled in the USA where she worked for NASA.

We hope you have enjoyed hearing about these amazing women and we cannot wait to add more to the list as further collections develop! Please share in the comments any additional South Asian women who've served as an inspiration to you! We hope in wearing these garments the strength of thousands of years of powerful women inspire you to live out your dreams.

* Our selection of famous women is not reflective of any political or social views. We would like to be as inclusive as possible. If you have any suggestions of future historical women to highlight, please do share with us!