Behind Sukoon — photographs from the studio
Four days in Clifton, a spool of silk, and the quiet before a collection goes live.
Sukoon means tranquillity in Urdu — a stillness that isn't empty, but full. We named the collection before a single piece was cut, and then spent four months trying to earn the name.
The starting point
It began with a spool of silk we found at a mill outside Lahore. The colour was undecided — it sat between grey and sage depending on the light, and we spent two days by different windows before we agreed on what it was.
"We named the collection before a single piece was cut, and then spent four months trying to earn the name."
The silhouettes
Sukoon is built around three silhouettes: a long straight kurta with a side slit, a wide-leg trouser cut from the same fabric as the top, and a reversible vest that works as an outerwear piece or a layering piece depending on the season.
The embroidery
We commissioned the embroidery from a workshop in Karachi's old city — twelve women who have been doing this work for two generations. The pattern is abstract: loose geometric forms that suggest flowers without depicting them.
A note on process
Every piece in Sukoon took longer than expected. The silk was difficult to cut cleanly. The embroidery took twice as long as quoted. The photography was delayed twice by weather. We're glad for all of it — the difficulty is in the fabric.
