Decidedly Feminine Eco-Fashions
Beautiful, Elegant and Ethical Indian Inspired Fashions
Aug 13, 2009
Mehera Shaw is a stylish women’s boutique offering beautiful and elegant Indian inspired fashions. Upon first glance, it is obvious that the racks filled with soft cottons, delicate silks, beautiful prints and pieces created from recycled wedding saris are well-made and exquisite, but there is something else below the surface.
Try running your fingers over the clothing and looking closely. You immediately get the feel that there is more here than simple pieces of machinery-made clothing being imported from India. That’s because Mehera Shaw is more than a fashion boutique, it is a small, privately owned, ethical design house that specializes in fair made artisan crafts and ecological production methods.
Mehera Shaw is owned and operated by Mark and Shari Keller, who split their time between their boutique in Chapel Hill, NC and their facilities in Jaipur, India. The couple met in India in 1997 when he was a jeweler and she was an anthropologist.
They quickly realized that they both had a long-standing love of Indian textiles and after marrying in 1998, they formed Mehera Shaw to bring their passion to life. Mrs. Keller designs all the clothing offered at Mehera Shaw and Mr. Keller showcases artisan jewelry pieces.
Socially Conscious Fashion
Unlike many other fashion boutiques, Mehera Shaw creates sweatshop free, fairly made clothing in natural fibers, using traditional, non mechanized methods of garment making. They go above and beyond the call of fashion, by creating collections incorporating green cotton that is grown using fewer toxic chemicals and processed without the use of bleach.
Mrs. Keller's designs are made with organically grown cotton that is hand spun and hand-loomed by village spinners in India and hand-block printed using teak wood carvings and earth friendly vegetable dyes. Everything about Mehera Shaw has ecology conscious and humanitarian written all over it.
“Our business is not only about beautiful fashion, it is about relationships: relationships to each other and to the earth,” says Mrs. Keller.
“We have relationships with the farmers who produce the cottons, the village spinners and loomers, as well as the print masters, stitchers, quilters and hand block printers. Our fashions are directly connected to nature in more ways than one: our design processes are so natural that even the colors of the prints are decided by nature. If it rains or is intensely hot outside, this affects the coloring of the prints and adds a unique dimension to the clothing.”
Affordable, Ecologically Friendly Clothing
The garments offered by Mehera Shaw are as their tag line reflects, ‘Decidedly Feminine’, and are created for the real-world, ecologically conscious woman who enjoys expressing her confidence and femininity. The linen-like organic cotton pieces are soft, high-quality and designed with an elegance and sophistication that can easily transition from casual wear and work attire, to a night out at a lavish social event.
They are also affordable, especially for locally-designed, artisan-made, ecologically friendly clothing. Blouses range from $40-$90, while skirts and pants are priced from $70-$90.
“Our clothing is feminine and luxurious, without compromising environmental values. The pieces are classically inspired, not trendy or easily outdated,” says Mrs. Keller. “It’s important to use organic fibers and environmentally-friendly dyes, but the true spirit of sustainability can be found in how long a piece will last. Carefully-crafted clothing that will be worn to work, to social events and to casual affairs for a long period of time without losing its style and beauty, is truly sustainable.”
Presently, Mehera Shaw has two boutiques — one in the Carr Mill Mall in Chapel Hill, NC and the other in Jaipur, India, which is home to its workshop, studio and wholesale showroom. Certain designs and collections are also available online, and Mehera Shaw is currently open to working with other designers who desire to produce on a small-scale, with the highest quality in standards.
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