She was endlessly inspired by her aunt, Maheen Khan, a prominent Pakistani fashion designer known as ‘Coco Chanel of the East’. Through Maheen, Mallika had developed a passion for the rich artisan tradition of the Indus Valley and the exquisite craftsmanship of the local tailors. Her ambition was to create a brand that centred around craft, care and community, and allowed her to create collections that are as versatile as they are timeless.

It quickly became clear from our initial workshop that Mallika’s own heritage was the beating heart of INDOI.

She spoke of her earliest memories of Pakistan, watching her mother and aunts getting dressed up for a night out or a special occasion. They had come of age in the 60s and 70s, as Pakistan was swept up in the same cultural revolution as the rest of the world – fuelled perhaps by its placement on the infamous ‘Hippie Trail’. They understood the power of fashion and its intricate relationship with identity. Strong and resilient, these women pushed boundaries and rejected the roles that were expected of them in favour of something different, something new.

Mallika remembers the old-world glamour and anticipation in the air as they applied lipstick, liberally spritzed perfume and carefully selected the outfits they believed best expressed themselves to the world.

She wanted INDOI to reflect their strength, their grace and beauty. She wanted her brand to be a love letter to the women in her life. She imagined the garments themselves as future heirlooms, that could be passed from one woman to another.

We started at the beginning. Going back thousands of years to one of the world’s oldest civilisations, we explored the Indus Valley and the culture, craft and traditions embedded in its landscape.

Along the way, we discovered accounts of life among the indigenous Kalash tribe, whose people worship a great Mother Goddess called Dezalik. A fierce matriarch, she is known to inhabit the bashali – the menstrual house which is the epicentre of female life, ritual and community among the women of the villages.

Here, girls are inducted into womanhood, young women give birth and older women share their wisdom. It’s a sacred space for women to be empowered and supported by other women. This concept resonated strongly with Mallika, reminding her of the household that she grew up in.

We uncovered old illustrations of one of these bashali, which became the inspiration behind the primary mark.

By stripping back the design comepletely, we created a simple rendering of the house, which retained the distinctive, traditional style of the original reference, while also signifying a modern, urban fashion house.

We also hand-printed a series of fuller ‘house’ marks, which could be used in different contexts throughout the rollout.

The wordmark was inspired by traditional eastern typefaces, but crafted to feel more contemporary and bespoke. The INDOI ‘indigo’ was inspired by Mallika’s own love affair with the colour, which stems from its cultural significance as an ancient dye in the Indus Valley.