I love goats more than any other animal on this Earth. But I firmly believe no human should smell like one. And yet—that’s exactly what tends to happen when you wear synthetics in summer. They make you sweat more, trap heat, and lock in odors that no perfume can cover up.

So, I rest my case: synthetics in a progressively hotter summers are a no no. They itch, clog your pores, and make you smell. Bad.

Moving on.

In this weekly dispatch, I’m taking you to India – where the legacy of handloom weaving remains unmatched. Let’s get into it →

Ever heard of “Mashru Silk”?💡

Mashru silk is a unique fabric that combines silk and cotton, historically orginating in India as a way to allow Muslim men to wear silk despite religious restrictions. It features a lustrous silk exterios and a comfortable cotton interior, making it both luxurious and pracrical.

Tigra Tigra was the first Indian brand I discovered in this dispatch, and the one that made me fall in love with Mashru silk. It even inspired me to buy some myself and try making a few pieces of my own.

I can’t put into words how divine this fabric feels. It’s thick yet breathable, creamy against the skin – like a second, softer layer of self. It carries the most delicate sheen, catching the light just enough, yet its texture remains raw, honest. Perfectly imperfect. It doesn’t just look beautiful — it makes you feel something.

Their long-standing partners include mashroo weavers in Old Patan, two different dye masters in Bhuj and Ahmedabad and a small group of artists who work from their homes in Ahmedabad and do aari embroidery, hand-embroidery and appliqué. All the artists run their own businesses and set their own prices for the work and are paid directly.

The Essence of Culture.

It’s not that I think minimalism is bland.
I take issue with the way it's often enforced as a universal aesthetic ideal. In doing so, it risks erasing the richness of cultures whose visual languages are anything but minimal.

When I look at places like India, I’m struck by the overwhelming variety of skills, stories, and symbols woven into craft. Every stitch, every motif carries meaning: not in a marketing sense, but in a lived, generational one.

Across regions and communities, embroidery traditions aren't just decorative. They’re reflections of beliefs, ancestry, identity. To reduce or flatten that in the name of aesthetic simplicity feels like erasure of the past, present, and the future.

If you’re curious, take the time to explore. This isn’t just about craft. It’s about culture, memory, and the beauty of complexity.

Péro - my second love from India.

‘Péro’ means ‘to wear’ in Marwani, the local language of Rajasthan. This brand interpretrs international aesthetic using local materials and skills, taking inspiration from what surrounds us, to make a product that connects with people, wherever in the world it is placed.  

Many assume that because a product is made in India, it should be cheap, or at least cheaper than what’s sold in the West. But the reality is: quality fabric, crafted by skilled artisans who are continually trained, paid a living wage (not just minimum), and who produce garments by hand, embroidered stitch by stitch, commands a fair price.

This brand does not sell through their own e-commerce platform (at least not in Europe), but you can find their pieces through select retailers and secondhand marketplaces.

On other topics and goodies… 👀

I must have lived a thousand lives, but most of them had to be in the Middle East. Cause my love for the use of complex rhythms and melodies, as well as its incorporation of traditional instruments transports to a different universe. So here are some of the tunes I have got on repeat.

Let’s get social 😏

I’ve started a new TMC IG account, and getting back to being social on social from next week, so come say hi!

Have a beautiful weekend. Hydrate, wherever you are.

Much love,

Bella