India’s mastery of craftsmanship and handmade excellence has kind of been lost in the public sphere–too much is going around about terrible production conditions. But the son-mother team of Surya and Bindu Giri mean to change that. While they acknowledge that “Made in India” is not a mark that most customers are looking for, they emphasize the traditional and highly artistic weaving that is the core of their brand. 

Bindu Giri has a track record to show truth to this claim: Her own eponymous label has impressed with luxury saris for a decade. Still, she teamed up with Surya and created SGBG Atelier, a brand that produces with the same quality as her namesake label, but with a more approachable product range for a broader audience.

Most aspects of business mother and son work on together or split evenly, except that he is responsible for the creative direction while she focuses on managing the production. The luxury aspect stays similar to the brand Bindu Giri but Surya, who has a background in film music orchestration, brought a more youthful feel to the table.

This is why SBGB Atelier has a very different aesthetic compared to Bindu Giri: The first collection is dominated by sports- and streetwear vibes and embroidery is less of a core stylistic element and more like an icing on the cake.

In its story, SGBG Atelier strives to unify tradition and progressiveness: A modern style is achieved with centuries old, labor-intensive handloom weaving. Surya Giri says: “We think it is interesting to graft sportswear against couture-level technique, resulting in pieces […] that take 200-plus hours and eight months of master artisanship.”

Their first collection consists of womenswear with different silhouettes ranging from maxi skirts to bomber jackets. For s/s ’18 it is open for pre-order and for f/w ’18 stockists in Japan, the UK and the US have expressed interest. An online shop will be available globally. Pricewise, SGBG Atelier ranges between €80 and €2200.

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