Club Sapna was made to explore and celebrate the feeling of diaspora displacement. I have seen so many different ways that individuals navigate cultural shifts and adjust to their environments. People host events and share spaces where we can come together and discuss how we feel, and amplify our collective voices through supporting each other. Seeing this support and united emotional connection, I was inspired to create a collection that brought a celebratory element to the journeys that we take as a diaspora. Growing up, I had to navigate my own path, being told I wasn’t western enough, nor Indian enough. It wasn’t until I met individuals who shared the feeling of displacement that I realised there was power in feeling this way. Through this, I have been able to focus on myself as an individual and what being a diaspora means to me. Owning that feeling and making the conscious effort to understand my roots as a Gujarati has connected me even further to my heritage, and in doing so, sprung a collection that combines western and south asian elements to create a collection that is the best of both worlds.

Going to events made me observe what people wore, and I aimed to find out what connection they had with what they were wearing. I found that people wore what represented their own version of their culture, and many wore their pieces with pride. It was beautiful to see how individualistic everyone’s styles were, how people choose to represent themselves through clothing, accessories, etc. Using this observation as reference, I aimed to create a collection where people were able to feel safe, understood and felt as though their voices were heard. 

I was fortunate enough to speak with Artisans in Gujarat about their practice and was inspired to use the colours and materials that are used to create traditional textiles in my woven fabrics. Handweaving the many different motifs and patterns brought me closer to my cultural background due to the techniques. Handweaving is a craft that has been practised in India for centuries. However, due to colonisation and western manufacturing of cheaper and more accessible fabrics, the craft has decreased dramatically. Artisans who are practising it now are being treated with utmost respect due to the scarcity of the craft. It was an honour to be able to hand weave fabrics for the collection, and include various elements such as Mirrors that are traditionally used in India for Mirror Work embroidery in areas like Kutch, and many other trinkets that were sourced directly in Gujarat. 

Club Sapna is celebratory. Celebrating me being born and raised in London. Celebrating me being Gujarati. Celebrating growing amongst a creative South Asian community. Celebrating a safe space for all of us.