Feature
Curated products in the
Indian fashion world are
known as ‘ready-made'
www.qns.com I LIC COURIER I AUGUST 2018 41
But a desire to preserve the cul-ture
of her Indian ancestors for Desi
people — a person of Indian, Pakistani
or Bangladeshi birth or descent who
lives abroad — was one of the factors
that led to India by Thread’s creation.
She added that she often experienced
overpaying for low-quality products
and wanted to make higher quality
items for her own customers.
Another factor that led to her com-pany’s
creation was a noticeable void
in the Indian clothing market for plus-sized
women.
“The plus-size market isn’t there,”
said Singh, who added that most
Indian clothing available for purchase
are for petite body types.
She first began designing for
herself and her sisters two years
ago. The following year is when
she said she started designing
professionally for her own busi-ness.
On her website, Singh sells a va-riety
of traditional and modern In-dian
clothes, shoes and accessories.
According to her, she designed 20
percent of the items on the website,
while the bulk of the items are things
she curated from different regions
in India.
“Curated products in the Indian
fashion world are known as ‘ready-made,'”
she said.
Singh said that the ready-made items
come from places like Delhi, Jodhpur
and Rajasthan, which she said is known
for its well-crafted, intricate designs.
“Every state in India has differ-ent
looks and even different ways
to drape their clothes,” Singh said.
When it comes to the products she
designs, she said she draws inspira-tion
from several sources, including
Bollywood, Indian art, architecture
like Hindu temples and the Taj Mahal
and her own travels.
In addition to designing and cu-rating
products, Singh said she also
takes the photos seen on her website
and social media. Most of the photo
shoots take place at her family home
in South Ozone Park.
She said that being located in
Queens has been a benefit for
India by Thread and has given
her the opportunity to learn new
techniques and processes from
people in the clothes-making
industry.
“Queens is the most amazing place
in the world. There are things right at
your fingertips,” Singh said.
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