Kardo was founded by Rikki Kher in 2013. Born and brought up in London to Punjabi Indian parents, he later went to live in New York, Milan, Cyprus and finally ended up in New Delhi, India in 2004. He has worked in the textile and fashion industry for the past 30 years, with experience in textile production, garment manufacturing, clothing retail and wholesale sales. Since arriving in New Delhi 18 years ago, he has spent his time understanding the Indian subcultures, the intricacies of garment and textile production and finally getting to know the artisanal textile communities that can be found in India.
Kardo aim to make exceptional quality menswear using a slow manufacturing process, while also supporting indigenous Indian craft textile communities & ensuring that their craft has a low environmental impact on our world. Collections are inspired by the complexities and slow process of the traditional methods of textile craftsmanship made by the incredible artisans and communities of weavers around India, who have been weaving the same way for centuries.
Kardo Fabrics & Craftsmanship
Despite a global aesthetic outlook, Kardo look inward and the past to help define their products. Textiles are manufactured by embracing old methodologies and slow, low impact processes such as hand spinning yarn, handloom weaving, hand block printing, natural dying, hand knitting, handloom ikat weaving, hand embroidery, up-cycling textile scrap and re- cycling old textiles.
All Kardo's clothing is handmade in their workshop in in Shahpur Jat, New Delhi - one piece at a time. Each tailor makes a garment from beginning to end with everything hand- finished and a sewed label in each garment that celebrates the people involved in its making. The fabrics are made all over India, wherever there is a speciality in a particular technique. For example Rajasthan for block printing, Andhra Pradesh for Ikat, Gujarat for khadi, natural indigo, bandhani, Himachal for handloom wool and handknitted sweaters and Bengal for fine light cottons. Each aspect of every piece telling it's own story.
With many weaving communities multi-tasking (the need to have 2-3 sources of income), a lot of the weavers work on their own agricultural land. With the scarcity of water that cannot be wasted, natural dying in the textile process allows them to recycle the water into their crops. Weaving communities in Rajasthan and Gujarat, with very dry climates and water scarcity, have learned to grow cottons on semi-parched land with further skills in spinning, weaving and dying using little water.
Kardo started with just one Pattern Master called Jahid Ali (better known as Masterji), one tailor and one sewing machine. Masterji, still makes all the patterns and cuts all the fabric, but is now responsible for a workshop with over 30 people, with the focus still being on working closely with the small weaving communities to deliver quality craftsmanship.
Shop the latest arrivals from Kardo, available online & in-store now at Stuarts London.
Kardo