ABOUT US
OUR BEGINNING
We founded Hindostan Archive to reconnect with the cultural memory of the Indian subcontinent through clothing. Our work begins with the textile traditions of Hindostan, where centuries-old crafts carry the stories of people, places, and time.
With ancestral ties to the Indian subcontinent, both of us found common ground in our shared roots, tracing back to the partition era....Sahil's ancestry in Sialkot, Pakistan, and Shaoni's in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Our encounters at NIFT led to a profound connection, especially on the subject of Indian textiles, sparking the idea of founding a brand to celebrate and propagate this rich heritage.
We embarked on journeys to numerous craft clusters across India. Witnessing the dedication of hardworking artisans practicing age-old techniques inspired us to bridge the gap between tradition and modernity.
We are also inspired by the Gandhian Philosophy of preserving & promoting the legacy of centuries-old handloom textiles globally. Hindostan Archive is a testament to our commitment to vertically integrate sustainable practices, ensuring the continuation of India's artisanal traditions for generations to come.
MEANING BEHIND ''HINDOSTAN ARCHIVE''
The name Hindostan reflects a shared cultural history of the Indian subcontinent before borders were drawn. With our families tracing their roots to Sialkot and Dhaka, the word holds a deeply personal meaning for us, evoking a time when cultures, people, and craft traditions moved freely across the region. Through Hindostan Archive, we seek to reconnect with this collective heritage, expressed through the textiles and artisanal knowledge that have shaped the subcontinent for centuries.
For us, the word Archive represents a living process. Rather than preserving the past as something static, we see these crafts as evolving traditions, continuing to grow through contemporary design while remaining rooted in their origins.
Through clothing, we document the techniques, stories, and cultural memory embedded within the textiles of Hindostan.
MEANING BEHIND THE EMBLEM
Our sun emblem draws inspiration from the shield of Emperor Akbar, discovered while studying the history of the Mughal era. The shield carried the symbol of Surya, the Hindu god of strngth and light....an emblem that reflected Akbar's belief in cultural openness and respect across faiths when it was less heard of.
Times when AI did not exist, the cofounders themselves rendered the Hindu Surya god in a style inspired by Kalighat art from Bengal. The emblem represents creation, belief, and the enduring spirit that guides Hindostan Archive.
OUR WORK
Our work is shaped through close collaboration with artisan communities across India, where generations of knowledge continue to sustain some of the subcontinent’s most remarkable textile traditions. From Ajrakh block printing in the desert villages of Kutch and Rabari embroidery practiced by nomadic communities of Gujarat, to Bhujodi handloom weaving, Sozni embroidery from the valleys of Kashmir, and weaving traditions from Bengal and Odisha....each craft carries its own landscape, history, and rhythm.
These techniques have been passed down through families and communities for centuries, carried forward through patient hands and lived knowledge.
Each piece shows the human touch...the loom's rhythm, the block's placement, the needle's precision. We aim to keep these traditions alive while letting them grow in modern clothes.
-Founded by Shaoni Ray and Sahil Meenia in 2022.