Don’t make something unless it is necessary
and useful; but if it is necessary and useful,
don’t hesitate to make it beautiful.”

-Design House Stockholm

Behind the high rises of the Boston cityscape lies a wonderful array of old mill buildings, piano factories and warehouses where many talented artists, designers and the like flourish and create.

One such person is Seema Krish, a textile designer who spent her childhood around the bright colors, elaborate patterns and textures of her homeland of India. A little over 15 years ago, she came to the United States to study her passion at The Fashion Institute of Technology.

She went on to work at numerous top textile companies such as Robert Allen, Nuno and Aid to Artisans. She continued to hone her craft by founding Azure, a design and weave studio in Bangalore, India. Seema sold her beautiful textiles to the likes of Calvin Klein, famed textile designer Jack Lenor Larson and Donghia.

In 2009, she founded Seema Krish Collection, a fabric line dedicated to representing her unique Indian heritage by using traditional textile production techniques to create fabrics that have a modern aesthetic. She works with a small group of artisans who create her goods in Bangalore, India.
I visited her studio in Boston’s South End.

PLR: Your line of bedding and pillows is so gorgeous. They have such a wonderful hand crafted quality, can you share the process of how they are made?

SK: To make a yard of fabric or a standard sham pillow cover, that piece of fabric is touched by up to 8 artisans all performing different techniques. First, the fabric gets hand woven on looms. A block maker then builds the wood blocks from the designs. Then the designs get block printed onto the fabric followed by 2-3 people embroidering. There is the trim maker and finally the fabrics last stop is at the sewing machine where it is made into a pillow sham, duvet or other form of bedding!

PLR: Tell us about your color palette. Your combinations of colors are unexpected and fresh.

SK: I find an endless source of inspiration in Nature. The balance of color is also important. Mixing strong bold colors like magenta pink with an equally strong counterpart like orange makes for a complementary pairing. I am also exploring metallic tones like gold, pewter and silver to blend with the color palette

PLR: Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

One of the main resources I draw on to come up with design is from my childhood. Growing up in Bombay, I was immersed in various cultural landscapes that have provided endless inspiration for the shapes and textures you see in my fabrics. My first collection is named’ Bombay Bliss’ and the patterns are named after streets in Bombay.

PLR: There has been a great emphasis on making products that are less harmful to the environment by using sustainable products such as Bamboo. How do you practice this in textile design?

SK: The collection is produced with low impact dyes and recycled water that is filtered through Canna plant root systems.

PLR: What is next for Seema Krish Collections? How can we all get our hands on your gorgeous designs?

SK: Seema Krish Collection will be featured in Barney’s NY, Chicago and LA this spring in their home department, Chelsea Passage. All of the gorgeous pillows and shams will be available to purchase. Koo de Kir and Lekker in Boston and to the trade.

PLR: Other than checking out the collection at Barney’s, how may people get in contact with you to purchase?

For purchasing and pricing information, please visit, www.seemakrish.com