What is the name of your brand and what does it stand for?

Kassa [pronounced [('k/ɑːʃ/ʃ/ɑː/)] meaning 'House of two'

When was it founded, and what inspired its beginning?

The idea was born in 2011 when we decided to work with each other after realizing that we were a perfect fix with the same aesthetics when it comes to creating art/design together and giving the design industry some wearable art/fashion. After having done solo shows at Jehangir art gallery, Mumbai and London art galleries and closely working with the advertising world respectively, the founders finally felt at home discovering a space between Art and Design. Aptly naming it Kassa, they started working on a product line of things they would carry themselves (be it lifestyle products or furniture etc).

About the Founders

Who are the founders?

Kassa was started by two like-minded contemporary artists post Aarushi's Masters from MICA (Mudra institute of communication, Ahmedabad) in Visual Communications and Arpan's Masters from the University of Arts London in Product Design.

What's your background?

We both are artists and designers by study and nature and prefer wearable art or art with utility in products.

What inspired you to start this brand?

Kassa is a multidisciplinary art and design discipline and our whole purpose is to add utility to art.

Do you have any personal connection to the craft, textile, or region your brand represents?

Yes. We are from Jaipur and it sits at the core of our brand. Jaipur is an art and craft hub of India and we are proud to be from here. Jaipur carries aesthetics to its core whether you are sipping a coffee at a palace in our Kassa café or shopping from our unique range.

The Team & People Behind the Brand

Can you tell us about the team behind your label?

Team is what makes anything so yea we are really grateful for our small team of 15 bravehearts who juggle between art and design with us.

Do you work with local artisans, karigars, or craft communities?

We make sculptures and design interiors also apart from designing accessories and craft communities are a huge part of our daily lives.

Craftsmanship & Textiles

What kinds of techniques does your brand use?

Kassa has been loved and admired for almost 12 years now. As a brand it continues with the graphical contempo au courant look at the core of it but always with various crafts from all over india.. Being avid artists and designers these two don't just make but indulge in all they do. Which makes them have an eye for detail and passion for intricate work, finishing and quality and how they perceive and explore materials. We marry traditional crafts with contemporary touch.

Are the materials locally sourced or organic/natural?

Yes and kassa is all about circular fashion with less energy levels in each vertical with upcycling and recycling concepts we use.

Values & Practices

How do sustainability, slow fashion, or ethical practices show up in your brand?

Yes and kassa is all about circular fashion with less energy levels in each vertical with upcycling and recycling concepts we use.

How do you approach production?

We are a slow art and design brand in the true sense and we don't follow seasons as much as industry and focus on making timeless pieces real slow.

Design & Aesthetic

How would you describe your design philosophy or signature style?

We both dream like artists and think like entrepreneurs. We never stop researching, exploring, creating new mediums, updating and learning from fellow contemporaries and upcoming or senior designers. We breathe art and design.

Upcycling + Recycling is a key element in our design process, and we bring the design community together through their Functionality meets the Design approach. We have magical wallets and recyclable paper bags, sculptural jewelry for the elite, toys for those who love stories, kassa Devnagari watches that run anti-clockwise to tell you the time. Using waste and leftover material from industries, our pieces are LIMITED IN EDITION and each piece bears a unique number, once made, can't be repeated exactly in similar style and color combinations. Be it metal or leather, we make sure that it's sustainable as a whole, thus contributing to the eco-conscious environment. Give us plastic waste, we can make art and design out of it also. We are open to all materials and experiences as someone has to manage non - sustainable waste also.

Introducing our Eco friendly paper material was new to India. It is for leather free people or for someone who loves to experiment with materials. It's waterproof, tearproof, and recyclable. Breathable and was only familiar with the food industry in India until now.

Tessellations are a trademark of Kassa. Gradually and eventually only our products are known for and related to this surface exploration in India.

How do you blend tradition with contemporary fashion?

WE STARTED FOR - taking Indian crafts/extinct crafts + pushing craftsmen to an International level

Our concluding statement would be Kassa's mission -- A future through "Art with Utility" (Design) as daily life.

To be a fashion designer in 2025 means being Responsible in reality and not only for social media posts.

~ sculptural ~ recyclable ~ handmade ~ sustainable

Kassa has been loved and admired all over the globe. As a brand, it continues with the graphical Contempo au courant look at the core of it. Currently, we have 3 stores in India, in beautiful cities of Jaipur, Goa, and Bangalore.

~ Solo shows in London and Mumbai galleries, India Design, The India Story, Lakme fashion week, Goodearth fashion show, The British Council, FDCI show and much more.

~ Recognized by Elle magazine, Cosmopolitan, Travel + Leisure India, Conde Nast Traveller, Not just a label, Platform, Pool magazine, Of Indian origin, Love travel India, The Hindu, Dainik Bhaskar and many more.

~ Names of few stockists are Clove, Amethyst, Nimai, Tata cliq etc

Your India

What does Made in India or Born in India mean to you personally?

At Kassa, sustainability is not a trend---it is a return to origin. To be Made in India is to craft with hands that have woven stories for centuries, to honor artisans, and to build responsibly within our land. To be Born in India is to inherit a philosophy of balance---where design flows from nature, heritage, and culture into modern life. Each piece is rooted in craft, guided by consciousness, and carried forward as a second skin---timeless, poetic, and enduring.

Looking Ahead

What is your vision for the future of your brand?

Make in India = Manufacturing sustainably in India. Born in India = Living the philosophy of sustainability inspired by Indian roots. Both together form a powerful identity: fashion that is not only made responsibly but also tells a story of cultural sustainability.

But having said this we are all about providing an experience whether it's with design, products, fashion etc or art and coffee at our Jaipur store and this experience lies even in the smallest details of anything brewed at Kassa. Scale doesn't matter to us but doing it right does.