Over the past five years, Graine has continually redefined its design language, blending tradition with contemporary purpose. For their latest collection, Indistinct Chatters, designers, Mannat Sethi & Harshna Kandhari, transform quiet introspection into a tangible form. This narrative reflects an evolution where material, emotion, and creative intent meet beautifully. More from the brainchild of Graine, Mannat Sethi below.
To begin with, how do you think you and your label have evolved in the last five years?
Over the last five years, I feel both the label and I have grown into our clarity. What started as instinct, a pulse under the skin, has slowly become intention. We have become more certain of material choices, more confident in redefining craft, and more conscious of the responsibility we carry as designers. Graine has evolved by trusting that tradition and rebellion can coexist without compromise.
What was the starting point for Indistinct Chatters?
Indistinct Chatters began as a quiet reflection of the internal conversations we carry with us as women, unheard yet constant. It was born from the subtle negotiations between self-expression and societal expectation. This collection is about those whispers turning into form: tactile, visible, wearable.
What sort of details helped you make the outfits versatile, something that has multiple characters?
Versatility, for me, comes from adaptive details like modular layers, reversible components, silhouettes that shift with movement and mood. I like garments that don’t dictate who you should be, but allow you to build your own character. Whether it’s the way a panel drapes or an embellished motif transitions from day to evening, each piece is designed to offer more than one version of oneself.
Can you talk a little about the fabrics and colours you chose for the collection and what helped you make those calls?
Fabric selection is always emotional for me. I gravitate towards textures that feel familiar yet hold room for reinterpretation, denims, organzas, tactile cottons. In colour, I tend to lean toward tones that feel grounded and timeless, then offset them with accents derived from craft. The choices are guided by the idea of ease. Clothes that can be reached for every day, but still hold stories within them.
Over the years, has your process stayed the same?
I would say the essence remains, like experiment, reflect, refine. But my process has become slower in the right ways. I now allow materials to guide me, and craftspeople to influence the rhythm. The only non-negotiable is honesty: if it does not feel like Graine, it does not move forward.
How would you describe the fashion of now and do you adhere to the trends?
Fashion today is wonderfully plural, there is space for voices that dare to wander. Trends are conversations we listen to, but not directions we follow blindly. As a team, we enjoy shaping our perspective from the culture, materials, and crafts we encounter. We respond to the world around us, but we move at our own pace. I believe that is how we create any sort of art, be it wearable or something else. Every form of art is of course somewhat influenced by trends but at the same time the trends come from the art, it is kind of a circular process.
What are your favourite picks from your new collection?
Rainbow Fire Dress holds a special place for me. An evening ensemble enveloped in a luminous tapestry of all-over sequin in a fluid form. The design language is elevated by a series of abstract, metal work in vibrant blues and purples, complemented by GRAINE signature bold black rubber.
Words Hansika Lohani
Date 29-10-2025