One night in March 2018 after wrapping up a long & hectic day at work and putting my two kids to bed I realized how tired I was.
I was just getting ready to sleep when suddenly I glanced at a picture of my parents. The picture reminded me of the place the picture was taken and this set a little nostalgia in me.
I remembered about the small things I did as a little girl and one of the memories was looking at my mom dressing up and me just admiring the beautiful ,soft and silky drape.
If you have not guessed by now I am talking about the butter soft yet bold silky smooth Satin silk saree with hand embellishments and embroidery.
I hail from Shimla, a beautiful hill station in the state of Himachal Pradesh in India. The weather is much like Seattle, where I live now, but less rainy. Women don't wear sarees here often and so when they do it's definitely a special occasion. I don't remember why my mom decided to wear her pure Satin Silk saree that day but I still remember the silhouette, the fall and the drape of the saree. This was the day when I got absorbed into the intricacies of fabrics, looms and their textures.
Growing up I used to spend a lot of time in the school library reading about different cultures & countries and a big part of that was the clothing . Every day after school I would cross The Mall road to come home. There were days when I was pulled into the Himachal Emporium because of the intricate embroidered shawls in the display.
As a child I was amazed to see that someone could place a fabric in a large picture frame and hang it on the wall like a masterpiece. It was only later I understood why those masterpieces were framed.
Even as a child I could spend time looking at the details of the fabric, trying to connect to the story the fabric was trying to tell and this passion only grew stronger.
But of course as I grew up other things took priority over and I almost forgot about all this with but that night , that moment was like reliving a long lost desire. It was that moment I decided to do something about it.
Growing up, part of me thought of becoming a fashion designer but there was always this fear of failure which overpowered me. I remember as a little girl standing in front of the mirror and talking as if someone was interviewing me about my clothing label. I don't know if the interview will ever happen but that very night I decided to have my own label and the idea of ‘The Chic Tale’ was born shortly after that.
Stay with me as I write my journey and all the reasons behind ‘The Chic Tale’.
Stay Chic,
Shelly - Team The Chic Tale