SOUTH ASIA ARCHIVE.
“South Asia Archive, founded by Sanam Sindhi, is a rare cultural excavation gem without the colonial lilt. Founded in 2018, the archive offers a fresh, unmediated lens on the traditions of beauty, adornment, fashion and identity within South Asia and its diaspora. Moved by a deeply entrenched desire to challenge the boring pestilence of reductive framing, Sanam has built a living, breathing repository that captures the multifaceted wealth of South Asian aesthetics, from ornate jewellery and tattoo traditions to countercultural movements and iconography.” (Dazed, 2024)
A social feature highlighting Tanya’s extensive archival collection depicting her conviction to the craft of archiving, collecting, and preserving the history of textiles: many of which utilize South Asian craftsmanship techniques colonized and brought to the west.
At the tender age of 23, she’s already worked with brands like Miu Miu, Prada, Ann Demeulemeester, Acne Studios, and Jean Paul Gaultier (to name a few) as well as carved out her own space in the American fashion landscape, where South Asians are not only still few and far between but also rarely considered for our editorial sensibilities.
This Saturday April 12, Tanya will open up a portion of her archive to display for the first time at @313newyork along with over 150 pieces for sale and a percentage of proceeds donated to the Environmental Defense Fund. Tanya shared some glimpses with me of what will be on display from her archive, including mirrorwork pieces by Dior and McQueen and a delicious vintage Dries skirt from the Spring 1997 India inspired collection.