Wajahat Rather studied at the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, and also holds a gold medal in fine arts from Jammu University. His love for Crafts and Textiles comes from his home town Kashmir.
He draws inspiration from the nature, culture and heritage and uses them in the context of contemporary design elements. Kashmirs rich ensemble of traditional silhouettes and his own interest in exploring the different dimensions of the the Himalayan regions motifs and calligraphy are evident in his collections. His quintessential quality of blending past and present reflects in his work. He believes that design does not happen in isolation, it happens through a synergetic and collaborative approach.
RAFFUGHAR is an Independent Design label which is inspired by the famous Darners of Kashmir. The initiative takes into account the traditional sensibilities of crafts and costumes of India.
We, at Raffughar, believe that traditional crafts are sophisticated & have refined over the years. These authentic hand techniques have evolved over a long time and require a proper direction in order to contemporize them. We enjoy working with limitations of crafts and embrace its imperfection and simplicity.
We intend to revive the traditional and natural processes of craft-making in the contemporary global market scenario. We rally forward with DNC as our motto, combining Design, Nature and Crafts to yield a meaningful whole.
Raffughars ideology revolves around studying traditional textiles, silhouettes and translating them into contemporary ensembles. “Museum to Barcode” defines our design process. For us clothes become a medium to tell unheard stories of art, culture and literature.
Raffughar truly believes in paying attention to the details. With its ethics-focused production model and environmentally conscious designs, the brands collections are produced in small batches. Our products are entirely made by hand. From weaving, embroideries, hand stitched buttonhole and to the last trims, it passes through the hands of various artisans depending on their skill set. I believe, the imperfections are the true indicators of human sensibilities. It differentiates handmade from machine made products.
We see Raffughar as a global brand rooted in its identity, staying truthful to the aesthetics that are shaping it. It is a fair-trade sustainable brand, carving a niche for itself in the gender-equality market, not just for clients but also as a means of providing sustenance to people we work with irrespective of their gender or orientation.
