“BLESSED ARE THE CRACKED,FOR THEY SHALL LET IN THE LIGHT.”
is a philosophy that lies at the very heart of our creations. “Āroka” which is Sanskrit for light shining through woven cloth, is like a celebration of the myriad imperfections and spaces in our soul for they also make us who we are. We want you to wear your memories and dreams. And memories – they’re not perfect. There’s love and happiness, but there’s also confusion and despair. We often make the mistake of thinking there’s something wrong with that. At Āroka, we believe the opposite. There is beauty in imperfection. Flaws are what make us fly.
Āroka is a ready-to-wear inclusive slow fashion brand founded by Shweta Agarwal. The duo launched their first ready-to-wear collection in 2019, wanting to create a space that cares about the emotions of consumers, encourages them to embrace what they do, and addresses social issues to evolve the social construct.
We believe in following ethical practices, uplifting the lives of artisans in India and aim to change the perception of Indian crafts and textiles globally. Featured in 20+ leading newspapers and magazines like Elle, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar for our designs, values and campaigns, we are fueled with passion to outgrow social norms. For the last 3 years, we have worked with 200+ artisans throughout the country, catered to more than 3,000 customers, and expanded our presence through 10+ multi designer stores in India, USA, UK, Bahrain and Singapore.
“Passionate about creating and growing a community, our mission is to empower the value system of artisans in India to help them scale their lifestyles and raise awareness about issues that plague our society. We aim to do so by creating Āroka as a one-stop-shop and a community space for fashion, art, and lifestyle for like-minded radical thinkers where they can contribute and create. Besides that, we want to promote Indian crafts and textiles globally, bringing slow fashion at the very centre of the industry.”
- Shweta
Our clothing reworks the basics, mixes materials and styles to reveal the part of us that is always unraveling. The artistic approach to styling garments using the principles of contradiction, mixing feminine styles with masculine silhouettes and tailored garments with fluid dresses challenges the norm. You’ll find layered textures, raw and handwoven fabrics and distressed looks scattered through our collections. These distressed details, from an aesthetic point of view, allude to a worn and beloved look. What is known and familiar, is always full of love.
“WE BUILD UPON THE IMPERFECTIONSTO BECOME A WHOLE, PLAID THEPIECES TO AN ENSEMBLE.”
We aim to align our social messages with our design processes and create collections that are powerful, meaningful and unique. By intertwining clothes with emotions, we want to move people by connecting with their passion and ardor. Every piece of clothing has a story to tell and feels like armor to wear. Our collections are trans seasonal, gender neutral and inclusive catering to all bodies, irrespective of age, gender, and size.