Discover Our Story

Kaleshkari started off as a survival mechanism. One can’t make it through their New York minute without a pack. Kaleshkari was born as a call for action, a recruitment for the community. My clothes were carefully designed to attract other sexy troublemakers like yours truly. The ones who never fit in because of their language, ethnicity, gender expression or well… passport.

I looked back at the example of India and saw the parallels, realizing I wasn’t one single thing, but a brilliant fusion of cultures, experiences, and influences that swirled around me like a storm. So, I began crafting clothes that captured my ever-evolving cultural identity.

What started as a personal rebellion—my own Kalesh of identities—soon exploded into something disruptive and more audacious. I don’t dress to impress, I mean I do impress but my clothes are the voice of my subconscious.

And just like that, Kaleshkari became more than me. My followers started asking me to design clothes for them and there was no looking back. Kaleshkari doesn’t just stand— it is mischievous, it creates trouble for those who uphold rigid norms around who should wear what. It embraces the queerness, creativity and originality of south Asian craft. It celebrates folks with a good risk-taking appetite, those who choose to fuck around and find out.

Speaking of risks.

When I first floated this name with my community, I received a lot of passionate DMs, discouraging me from its negative connotation. 58% of my audience thinks that it is better to be safe, than sorry. I was baffled because my own fashion mantra is anything but safe.

I believe that to be better, you must be sorry. Safety only belongs in the bedroom. While curating a look, my first thought is about the number of risks I can take. For me, the core of fashion is to live on the edge. Everything else is fluff.

It is very possible that someone might discourage a consumer from buying my clothes from the racks. It is also very possible that an investor could have an issue with the name. But that’s exactly the point. I want to engage and work with people who are wearing my stuff to own their Kaleshi side, as opposed to fitting into existing structures. I respect if that’s not you. I'm not passing a value judgment if you're playing it safe. But I’m definitely passing a fashion judgment.