We had the unique pleasure of sitting down with Shwetambari Mody, the designer behind the namesake brand SHWETAMBARI, to discuss the brand's recent FW25 collection. What we thought would be a conversation about a fashion collection was deeply rooted in spirituality, philosophy, human connection, synchronicity, and introspection. Shwetambari gave us a unique perspective, not only regarding her brand's latest collection but also on life in general and how it relates to art and textiles.
To be caught between two worlds is not a conflict—it's a revelation. For Shwetambari, fashion is more than just an industry or an aesthetic pursuit; it is a language, a philosophy, a way of reconciling the many threads of her identity. Born and raised in India, she carried the legacy of her homeland's craftsmanship with her when she moved to New York in 2003 to study at FIT. Fashion, as she tells me, is her first and truest love—something even her husband understands well. But love, even in its most unwavering form, is not static. It grows, evolves, and demands more from us.
Shwetambari Mody, courtesy of the brand.
The pursuit of knowledge of all sides of fashion led her to Paris, where she studied luxury brand management at ESSEC Business School, a program deeply embedded in the world of LVMH. It was in the ateliers, learning under the tutelage of French artisans, that she had a realization—one that was less about discovery and more about recognition. The mastery of French savoir-faire was something she admired, but it wasn't unfamiliar. It was mirrored in India's Karigari, the centuries-old art of craftsmanship that she had grown up around but, in some ways, had taken for granted. Distance often lends us clarity, and after years away from India, she found herself seeing her heritage with renewed appreciation.
Returning to New York, she immersed herself in the business side of fashion, working with Jones New York under Global Brands Group. But the idea of creating something of her own never left her. By 2018, it was now or never. In 2021—during the pandemic, no less—she finally took the leap, launching her eponymous label. With each collection, she has worked to bridge the gap between the two parts of herself: the elegance of Indian craftsmanship and the contemporary energy of New York. The result is a body of work that does not merely merge cultures but redefines them through a modern lens.
Her latest collection is perhaps her most introspective yet, drawing inspiration from Advaita, a Hindu philosophy from the Vedantas. At its core, Advaita challenges the idea of binary opposition—black and white, good and evil, self and other. It posits that all things are interconnected, facets of the same whole. This philosophy manifests in her designs, where opposing elements coexist harmoniously, just as they do within us.
As we begin our conversation, I can't help but reflect on how her journey itself embodies this very concept: the artist and the strategist, the student and the educator, the Indian native and the New Yorker, the past and the future—not separate but one.
In Conversation with SHWETAMBARI: Fashion as Philosophy and Art
SHWETAMBARI FW 2025, courtesy of the brand.
LO'AMMI: Can you tell us more about your journey into fashion? How did your journey begin, where did your love for fashion originate, and how did your upbringing influence your design philosophy?
SHWETAMBARI: I actually remember the exact moment, which is so strange, but I think I was seven or eight years old and in India. Every Diwali, we would get new outfits, and that's just part of what we did, you know how, like during Christmas, you get new outfits. I'm from Mumbai, but we were in Delhi and went to the Atelier of Rohit Khosla, who has since passed. Still, he was a pioneer of Indian fashion (I recommend you look at his work one day because he was really spectacular). He was draping my mother in these beautiful fabrics, and we were three young girls who didn't know anything about anything, but we had this opportunity. While technically, my family is not really into garments, it's always been a part of my life and it's always been a part of every celebration.
My family has always championed Indian artists. So, I think it's been a part of who I am since a very, very young age because, believe it or not, clothing gives joy to people. When you put something on yourself that you totally love, you walk out of the room totally and completely confident, and you can really seize the day.
LO'AMMI: I want to highlight your upbringing; your work showcases India's luxurious and artistic side. Outside of Bollywood, the West doesn't always push this luxury or creative side of India to the forefront. What personal experiences have shaped your approach to blending the worlds of contemporary style with traditional elegance, showing them to be one?
SHWETAMBARI FW 2025, courtesy of the brand.
SHWETAMBARI: It's an interesting question because I don't think I've ever thought about it that way... When you're growing up, you don't think, "Oh, this is what's going to affect my decisions at some point." It's very subconscious. But, being exposed to the craftsmanship and even going to someone's atelier like Rohit Khosla at the age of seven, my parents probably didn't even realize that it was going to have such an impact on me and that it would be my life. It's these subconscious things. And also learning that in a country of so many people, there is so much talent. Look, we're talking about a billion people [living in India] today, right? There weren't a billion people when I was growing up, but there were still a lot. And I think it's just a part of our culture.
I started my brand in the way that I did in luxury fashion because I didn't want people to look at it as a charity project. I think that the West sometimes, and I'm going to say this with a pinch of salt, showcases it as "look what we're doing for this country." For me, it's like, "Look at what the country has to offer."
Irrespective of where people come from. Just because they're not wearing white lab coats in a French atelier doesn't mean they don't have the same talent. If not, they could be even more talented. It's just about our perception, and I think that's kind of what needs to change, if I may be honest. I would be extremely humbled if that happened through my brand, but I hope that slowly, it's happening across [the board], where it's not just a resource but also looked at as a source of inspiration. For example, today, it's [India] considered one of the biggest untapped markets for luxury goods.
SHWETAMBARI FW 2025, courtesy of the brand.
I'm actually seeing this change in my lifetime. I don't think that, as a child, I would have seen it change, but I'm glad that it is.
LO'AMMI: It's beautiful because, in a way, your life story reflects the collection itself.
SHWETAMBARI: I guess so! As designers, you don't think that it's so profound. Because we don't save lives, right? We're not doctors. What we do is because we love what we do, the arts and the crafts. But, at the end of the day, it also is something that's so profound within us. It's a dichotomy, and I'm glad that that comes across in the collection because that's where I am as a person right now; maybe a lot of us are in this place.
LO'AMMI: We are all interconnected, so our experiences are not necessarily more unique than those of others. It's just that we, especially you, as the artist, have the unique position to tell your story through this medium. Going back to earlier and what you said about Advita, first, is that the collection's name as well?
SHWETAMBARI: Yes!
LO'AMMI: I know that your Fall Winter '25 collection is deeply rooted in the Hindu philosophy of Advaita. How did this concept shape your creative process? Your collection also explores dualities—light and dark, chaos and calm, tradition and innovation. How do you navigate these contrasts in your designs without making them clash but rather blending them together in harmony?
SHWETAMBARI FW 2025, courtesy of the brand.
SHWETAMBARI: First of all, thank you for saying that it's come together in quite a beautiful way because when you're in the middle of it, you're just like, "Is it?" But first of all, I'm going to be completely transparent with the concept of Advaita: this goes back to me not knowing much about spirituality but more about being Indian and just being part of who I am.
I've been in this place where I feel like these dualities have been existing. I talked to my sister, and she asked, "What is your next collection?" And I was like, "I want to do black and white, but I also want to make people understand the difference in the contrasts of it all. I want it to come together in a beautiful harmony." If you look at the print - which is much more tactile because I draw and do a bit of art - it is a mix between the florals and the graphics, so the concept keeps honing in. I was chatting with her, and she said, "You know, there is a concept in Hindu philosophy called Advaita."
I started looking into it, and it's the concept of nonduality. That's how the concept of the entire collection comes together. Most religions believe in the dualities of life. But, when you embrace it and come to the other side, that's when it's Advaita, which is nonduality. And she told me, "You know, Dad is studying this in his Vedantas," I was like, "Really?"
SHWETAMBARI FW 2025, courtesy of the brand.
It's funny; I'm very close to my family, but we're in all different parts of the world, and sometimes it's chaotic. I started talking to my dad about it, and he said it's what he's studying. He said people have taken years to understand this concept because everybody fights with it, that it is about nonduality. Then I thought, "Should I call [the collection] 'Duality' or 'Non-Duality' - what should I base the collection on?" Then I came across "Advita," and I think it's a very strong, beautiful word. Again, it's strong but very quiet, which goes back to the duality of the collection.
LO'AMMI: This is exactly what you were talking about when you were describing the contrast: strong but quiet, gentle and loud. This discussion is getting interesting.
SHWETAMBARI: It's not that I haven't had this conversation before, but now that I'm chatting with you, it's coming out in a very easy way, without being forced. I really appreciate that, so thank you.
LO'AMMI: You're welcome! But thank you for allowing us to explore because all these things have meaning. One of the things about this collection that is rich with meaning is the textural elements and materials you selected to play a significant role in this collection. Can you explain some of the textures used in this collection and how these techniques contribute to the storytelling behind your pieces?
SHWETAMBARI: I'll start off by saying that, first and foremost, fabrics are the backbone of fashion design, and my background is in textiles. I believe very strongly in using some of the best textiles. Luckily for me, with India, I have access to some of the best textiles in the world. In this collection, we kind of pad it back a bit more than what we do in our normal collections. So, of course, I used cotton sateens and tried to use as many natural fabrics as possible because, again, going back to the look and feel of a collection - it's nothing without the right fabrics. So, when I was thinking of the collection, I was like, "We have the softness of the silks and everything, but how do you bring that strength into the softness?"
SHWETAMBARI FW 2025, courtesy of the brand.
So, we used suiting fabric, which is a blend of foley and wool, but it's this beautiful suiting fabric, only in oxblood, which again was very international. It's a men's structured fabric, but we made puffy sleeves with it and went crazy in that aspect to show that even fabrics that you can have with fabrics that we consider to be so serious—again, going back to the meaning of the collection. And then silk's a part of our normal design [process]. When we design, we always use silks because I believe in beautiful fabrics, and nothing is as beautiful as silk, let's be honest. So yeah, I wanted to show that slight masculinity, but in a very modern, fresh way.
LO'AMMI: I love it. Once again, we return to the dualities at the heart of this collection: masculine but still feminine. These pieces' structures are striking; they're very symmetrical. As a matter of fact, the color palette of the collection is very monochromatic and striking. In some of the designs, we see very bold black and white structural pieces throughout the collection, but now and again, we have a splash of oxblood red, as you've alluded to. What emotions or messages do you hope to evoke through these choices?
SHWETAMBARI: When we make garments, we don't really think about so many details. We do think about the details in the garment, but we don't think about, like, "What do I want people to feel?" But, it comes out when you are designing the collection because it is a part of you that comes out.
Every season, it's a new feeling that you have. So, this season, I thought that oxblood was sharp because when we described it, we said it's like the pulse or the vein of the human, which makes the whole duality of the black-white much more real. Because, at the end of the day, you can say that these are opposing views, but it's us as humans who realize that, yes, it is a human feeling to feel like that, that you come to the other side. And I think the oxblood, I'll say it was a little bit kind of on the nose to be like, "Okay, it's the oxblood that brings it together." I found that cheeky and nice.
SHWETAMBARI FW 2025, courtesy of the brand.
That's where the color palette and the idea of the collection hone into that. And then what we did was when we shot the collection for the lookbook, we did use the oxblood, and we were like, "Let's get an oxblood carpet and see how that works." There are hints of this whole thing subtly throughout the collection.
We are humans, and that's what runs through us - it's blood.
LO'AMMI: Wow, that's profound. These are the things that you don't really think about until it's revealed to you!
SHWETAMBARI: I'll tell you what—you don't think about this when you're designing the collection until someone asks the question, and you think, "Wait, wow." So, thank you for that challenging question.
LO'AMMI: It's truly amazing, right? I mean would you say that sometimes the collections just create themselves and we just experience it?
SHWETAMBARI: 100%. I genuinely believe in that because, also, a collection goes through so many hands, especially if it is handcrafted, and each person gets involved with it - like, they're actually doing it with their hands. Who knows what they're going through when they're making it? What's interesting is I don't get to see the collection until it comes to New York. I design it and sometimes leave to come back to New York, and then my team handles it, and we do calls and everything, but I don't see it physically. I don't see it until it comes here and is ready to shoot. Every single time I get a collection, I'm hyperventilating, asking, "What am I doing with my life?"
SHWETAMBARI FW 2025, courtesy of the brand.
But, I think it's also about the emotions of every other person that works on it because, you know, as I said, we don't create in a void.
LO'AMMI: Agreed. Speaking of that collaborative process, what has been the most rewarding part of working on this collection, and how does it set the stage for future collections?
SHWETAMBARI: I think the most rewarding part of me starting my brand is to understand the craftsmanship of India. I don't think I understood it until this point and until I started my own brand because [now] I get to work with them on such a visceral level. Honestly, they are so talented. I, as a designer, of course, come up with the concepts, but what is a concept without execution? And they are the ones who execute every single thing.
I'm in awe of the talent of my country, and in every collection, I try to push it even more. And I push them even more until they're just like, "Wow, this girl is going crazy!" But, I think that little challenge between the craftsmanship of India and me - every collection, they get better, and every collection, I'm like, "Let's push it even more." This [collection] is the one that we've pushed the most.
SHWETAMBARI FW 2025, courtesy of the brand.
I tell my team, "Hopefully, the next one will be better... this is amazing, but next season will be better."
LO'AMMI: Well, how about you give us a glimpse into what's coming next for SHWETAMBARI? Are there any new collaborations or projects you're excited about? Or is it just coming to you at the moment?
SHWETAMBARI: It's coming to me. As I said, sometimes, as a creative person, you need to take a step back and take stock of what's happening. But what I do is, every year, I try to take a trip around India, and that is where my inspiration comes from. My Spring collection was inspired by the jungles of Ranthambore, basically to look for the tiger - and it's all about the tiger. This one was obviously about Hindu philosophy. So, my next collection, my husband and I went to the Taj Mahal in November. I hadn't been since I was a child, but he'd never been at all. I think what, to me, is the most important thing about that place (obviously, it's absolutely spectacular; if you ever get a chance, I hope you get to go) is that the reason that it was built was love. It's like a mausoleum the king built for his wife, who passed away. So, I started thinking, "What are the symbols of love?" I think the collection is going to be about love in every aspect of it.
LO'AMMI: I have a few last questions because I know you have to go soon. Where can we find more information about SHWETAMBARI? Also, how do I pronounce the brand's name?
SHWETAMBARI: It’s SHWETAMBARI (Shway-TAHM-buh-ree). Most people say "Shway-tuhm-BAR-ee," but it's "Shway-TAHM-buh-ree." You know, even when I decided to name the brand, I thought people were not going to be able to pronounce it, and it's going to be tough - and it is tough. I know it's tough. But it's an ice breaker, and we pronounce the French and Italian names, so let's try. I know people are going to butcher it, but I've been used to that my whole life, so it's okay.
You can find us on Instagram, where I think you already tagged us for the story. And, of course, we have a website, shwetambari.com. We're on Instagram, and we're on the website.
SHWETAMBARI FW 2025, courtesy of the brand.
Threads of Reflection: Closing Thoughts with SHWETAMBARI
The conversation ends with us thanking Shwetambari for her time and willingness to share this collection with us. It's a very intimate and personal thing for something inside of someone at one point to be exposed to the world for all to interpret and interact with in their own way because interpretation is the standard here, and it starts with her. Shwetambari thanked the LO'AMMI team for the questioning line because it caused her some introspection. These questions came from a genuine place of interest, and we highly appreciate her warm feedback.
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