un-title & re-creation: from stories to stitches

Studio visit with Nikita Shah of Un-title

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VOLUME V | OCTOBER 2024

Gem and I recently met Nikita Shah after seeing her presentation at a symposium held at Parson’s. Nikita’s story captivated us, and her dedication to her local community through hosting Kalamkari and textile workshops in her home studio drew me to reach out for a visit to her Brooklyn studio.

Nikita welcomed me warmly with tea, and we spent time discussing Un-titled. She shared how meaningful it is to make her studio at home, as this integration of life and craft is at the heart of her work just like her ancestors who make at home surrounded by families. We delved into the essence of slow fashion—how it can be more than an answer to the problems of fast fashion. Rather than a fleeting trend, she/we spoke about intentionality, culture, and tradition—some things can’t be rushed or replicated.

layers of making

See a kalamkari piece through its many iterations: at the bottom, a sketch is made, in the middle layers, you see the ingredients from the right slowly added, and at the top-most layer, see a finished motif.

We spoke about the contradictions and occasional incoherence of fashion. She mentioned a job posting by a “slow fashion brand” looking to hire people to work in a fast-paced environment. Although I laughed, it struck a chord: We’re both working amidst, and perhaps in spite of, the ever-present tension between creativity and the pressure to produce. We talked about the difference between hustling and grinding; how there’s a fine line between having the focused discipline to pursue a life-long dream and anxiety-driven overachievement.

a double-sided ensemble by Nikita.

Nikita in her studio.

Nikita revealed the layers of being a maker—how the work is tied to emotion, tradition, healing. She shared stories of women who used craft to express grief and emotions they couldn’t verbalize. Un-title isn’t just creation, it’s also teaching knowledge and techniques that aren’t documented through text, but textiles. It’s both creation and re-creation of what’s passed down through generations, so that more people can find fulfilling self-expression through the act of making.

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...FEELS LIKE LIFE.

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