the design brief - by Safia Minney
Social impact and regeneration have always been at the heart of our design process. Indilisi's design process is very intentional. This doesn't mean Indilisi lacks a signature style; rather, our aesthetic centers on timeless, feminine silhouettes that celebrate the incredible crafts of the communities we partner with. I’ve always been drawn to 'fit and flare' - structured enough to be sexy, but comfortable enough to live in. Given indilisi works in breathable, 100% organic fabrics, the last thing anyone wants is organic clothing that pinches or restricts you.
At Indilisi we start with the inspiring craft skills - the handwoven fabric weights and the hand embroideries. We decide on a colour palette based on what we like, what gives long-term wear, and we look at trend colours, but know that we can’t compete, as when they are shared often 18 months ahead, the fast fashion brands, with their mass-machine production, jump on these colours, producing them straight away. We can’t compete, nor do we want to. There’s also something a little embarrassing about wearing last summer's colour the following year - so why produce or buy it in the first place?
Shayla Sakora and I have worked together for two years. Despite our age difference, we have a similar aesthetic, values and love and dislike the same things. We’ve also worked with other designers and friends in the past on menswear, for example, with the support of the brilliant twins Brett and Scott Staniland. We have been fortunate to have input from customers, buyers and industry well-wishers, and this has helped us develop collections, improve patterns and deepen our work with artisan partners.
Indilisi’s crafts group partners are social enterprises committed to Fair Trade principles and the artisans they work with, promoting livelihoods through handweaving, hand embroidery, and hand knitting, as well as broader social development. The groups are rurally-based, and crafts means that there is not the uniformity of machine production - and that is the point! But crafts groups often have poor infrastructure compared to large factories, so they face many challenges in procuring organic cotton, high-quality accessories, like zips, secure storage, access to finance, and transport. This is where Indilisi comes in to support and work in a long-term partnership, to overcome these challenges with a longer and earlier critical path, to give time for production, 50% advance payments on placing orders and working in real partnership.
We love Vivienne Westwood, vintage-inspired silhouettes and the great fabrics and clean lines of Margaret Howell. While we admire the artistry of high-end craft fashion brands, we are committed to keeping Indilisi as affordable as possible. For us, accessibility is the key to scale: the more we grow, the more consistent work we can provide to skilled artisans. We are proving that a fairer fashion system is possible - one built on dignified livelihoods, high-quality fabrics, and garments designed for longevity. By prioritising a redistribution of wealth that directly supports organic cotton farmers and rural craftspeople, we aren’t just making clothes; we’re building a textile system that values people and a new fashion system, as much as creating beautiful products.
It’s not easy, but with your support, we hope to bring gorgeous, handcrafted clothing to You.