For Atlantan Monik Ladha, a brand strategist and marketer by trade, family ties to the design industry established an appreciation for gracious living from day one.
During visits with his grandmother in his cultural home of Jaipur, he was drawn to a particular sort of vintage quilt—fashioned from recycled saris 70 to 80 years ago. Following several inspiring sourcing trips, Ladha lovingly salvaged these time-worn textiles, processed them naturally to soften them, then overdyed each using au courant colors and centuries-old Rajasthani block-printing techniques.
Back in Atlanta, the quilts are cut, sewn and finished by hand, then fashioned into one-of-a-kind pillows and “floor cloths” perfect for spreading across a bed or tossing along the back of a sofa.
Ladha says his to-the-trade and wholesale brand, Aloka, was the natural next business move for one big reason: “The South has a deep reverence for tradition, and that creates a certain respect for how things have been done, how they are passed on, how they evolved and, perhaps most importantly, how they can help to establish community,” he explains.
Plus, at a time when considering one’s carbon footprint is increasingly crucial, the art of repurposing is more valued than ever.
