I rarely tell people the origin story of how Saraasa came to be -

Going back to of January of 2023, I remember sitting in my college dorm reading Vogue's coverage of Rahul Mishra's Spring 2023 collection. The Cosmos collection was stunning, and was Mishra's debut at Paris Haute Couture Week.

At its time, Cosmos was revolutionary. It brought South Asian craftsmanship to life on the runway. In my eyes, it was the beginning of South Asian culture becoming increasingly mainstream over the last two years.

But Vogue's coverage of the collection was disappointing. It featured unfair criticism, the kind that would not be considered for Western designers.

It was at that moment that I wondered whether we could one day have a media source to cover lifestyle topics for South Asians in an un-biased, appreciative way. One that could be an authentic voice for South Asians.

So when Saakshi Lunkad, founder and designer of Khoob, invited me to cover behind the scenes content with her brand at Pankti Doshi Events' New York Fashion Week show, it felt like a full circle moment.

Khoob is a NYC based, South Asian-inspired fashion house blending traditional South-Asian textiles and embroidery techniques with streamlined western silhouettes. Each piece is hand-crafted by kaarigars in India.

My favorite thing about Khoob? The designs are wearable in day-to-day life, but the inspiration from desi fashion is clear. This to me feels like a niche area of fashion I didn't know I needed, but now can't get enough of.

Khoob's second collection is inspired by South Asian festive-wear. It brings traditional vibrant colors, sparkly embroidery together to create pieces that are perfect for Diwali or Eid, but also for birthdays or New Year's Eve. Styled with decadent desi jewelry, or one of Khoob's hand embroidered bags, and you have a celebratory outfit that is both unique and won't break the bank.

See below for a Saraasa-exclusive gallery behind the scenes of Khoob's second collection (and some pieces from the first collection)!