Our Story
The Essence of Tara and the Tigress is Hope
The seed of T&T was sown
into my conscience when I was a young girl. I had grown up watching my widowed maternal grandmother struggle to raise her five children by herself. Had she been educated or skilled in any field, she would have had alternate options of income to help make life easier. Instead, she was dependent on my grandfathers' meagre pension and the small earnings from their farm in the desert of Rajasthan.
As the first born of her grandchildren
Bai and I had a very deep connection, and I was her shadow until I was sent to boarding school at the age of six. I watched her manage the farm and the family. In her spare time, she would spin raw cotton into thread, and we would take this to the village weaver to be made into blankets.
Though she was illiterate, she was a strong womanand had an innate sense of wisdom that commanded respect from young and old alike. In rural India, it was (and in many parts still is) seen as unnecessary to send the girl child to school. Bai – as we all called her affectionately, was ahead of her time, in that she was determined to teach her children and grandchildren the value of education.
My deep desire to help women stems from these memories.
India is not very kind to widows or marginalised women. Through your support and purchases we train women, especially those who are in need so they can take care of themselves and their family. For a society to move forward and out of poverty education is key.
Born into the family of a humanitarian aid worker
I had the privilege to grow up in rural India, Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan. For most of my childhood I attended international schools while living in these countries. This first-hand experience of the imbalance of education and opportunity was always visible and very confronting. As an adult, I worked in India and Liberia in the medical field. From an early age, I knew I was lucky to enjoy a privileged and diverse life and I am grateful for where I am today.
Tara and the Tigress has been my lifelong dream. As long as I can remember I have always wanted to design clothes. This stems from my childhood memories of going to India on holidays and paying a visit to the family cloth merchant with my mum and grandmother. The way they laid out bolt after bolt of fabric and described the print and the weave of the fabric it was mesmerising, all while sipping on hot hot chai.
People bought fabric and took it to the tailors. Before the 90s and before the onslaught of modernisation took a strong hold in India, that was the norm. Indian women are instinctively very good with needle and thread. This is a result of preparing them for marriage. And sewing was one of the prerequisites before the mass movement of sending the girl child to school.
Tara and the Tigress is the result of all these experiences.
Watching my grandmother, growing up in Africa and India and my joyful memories of fabric purchasing and clothing creation. The amalgamation of these life experiences led to the germination of Tara and the Tigress.
We thank you for being on this journey with us.
Breathable natural fabric
Luxurious fashion, consciously created for the planet and you.
Exclusive Creations
Thoughtfully made in small batches, ensuring exclusivity and attention to every detail.
Putting People before profit
Your choice uplifts marginalised women and the planet.
Empowered Artisans
Empowering lives with every stitch.
