Via India

For the collection of the Via India label, we work together with a small-scale fashion company in India: Akira Ming. The cooperation is based on complete transparency: the suppliers are known and we know exactly who the workers are and that are paid a fair wage.

Fashion trends through centuries

The designs of the Via India collection are a timeless mix of fashion trends in East and West. And when we write trends, we mean not only the latest trends, but especially trends throughout the centuries. It's not about fast fashion trends, but sustainable trends. Translating old crafts into new designs, that's what it's all about. Consider the use of original cotton with new hand weaving techniques; making traditional block prints but with fresh designs, or putting old embroidery designs in a modern version.

Animal-friendly silk

Our makers at Akira Ming work with animal-friendly silk that is produced in Hyderabad, South India. You can read and see how this silk is made in the story about Ahimsa silk (dutch only).

Organic Indian cotton

The cotton for the Via India collection comes from the Malkha company. A company that works exclusively with local cotton farmers who organically grow the original Indian cotton. This is spun and woven by hand. This way an age-old local economic model remains intact. It provides traditional textile workers to be economically independent and work from their village or at home. It keeps them from fast fashion factories. Malkha also works exclusively with environmentally friendly dyes for their cotton.

Social program handblock print

The animal-friendly silk fabrics from Via India are printed manually with block printing techniques by Tharangini Studios, a family company in Bangalore. Tharangini Studio works with environmentally friendly dyes for the prints and they work with talented artists with autism who live in special residential units in Bangalore.