In India’s evolving luxury landscape, Moonray made its debut in 2021 as a free-spirited offshoot of Chanakya International, the heritage atelier founded in 1984, best known for its embroidery collaborations with global houses such as Dior. Co-founded by Karishma Swali and her daughter Avantika Swali, Moonray channelled Gen Z’s creative energy into Chanakya’s artisanal mastery. The vision was to democratise couture by blending sustainability with accessibility. The brand made upcycled denim desirable, reimagined traditional embroidery in relaxed silhouettes, and introduced vegan accessories crafted from organic cotton and natural indigo dyes. It spoke to a new generation that valued style and responsibility in equal measure.
Inside the Chorus flagship store
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
“Moonray was always about ease and freedom,” Karishma recalls. “We wanted to preserve the soul of craft, but without the stiffness that often comes with couture. It was about joy, movement, and a more human connection to what we wear.” That philosophy resonated. Moonray became known for its ability to bridge couture’s grandeur with everyday elegance, transforming high-end techniques into wardrobe staples. But even as it established its voice, the Swalis were already thinking bigger.
Tradition, the contemporary way
Cut to 2025, Moonray has now evolved into Chorus, a multidisciplinary atelier. Under the Swali family banner, the transition marked what Karishma calls “a new chapter — one that invites more voices while safeguarding craft and consciousness.” While Moonray’s upcycled denim remains a signature, Chorus expands the canvas, folding that youthful spirit into a wider universe that now includes couture, ready-to-wear, wellness, home, and even a café.
At the heart of this vision is the brand’s new flagship in Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda — a three-storey space designed by Karishma and the Chorus Design Collective. The gallery-like interior blends natural stone, warm woods, and monumental embroidered artworks to create what she calls “a dialogue between earth, air, light, and water.”
Chorus concept
| Photo Credit:
DRIU CRILLY & TIAGO MARTEL
The ground floor hosts Chorus Ready-to-Wear, where architectural silhouettes meet sustainable materials. Blue marble interiors evoke the sky, while ochre stone details bring warmth. A curved cove showcases pieces from Chorus Concept — including woven raffia, ceramic objects, and handmade jewelry that blur the line between art and design. Upstairs, Chorus Wellness extends the brand’s tactile philosophy into self-care. “For us, it’s about expanding the idea of craft,” says Karishma. “We wanted to take that sensitivity into daily rituals — through candles, soaps, and oils that celebrate natural processes.”
Chorus concept
| Photo Credit:
DRIU CRILLY & TIAGO MARTEL
On the top floor sits Chorus Café, envisioned as a community space where design, dialogue, and creativity meet. There is also Chorus Edition, a couture sanctum that draws on Chanakya’s 40-year savoir-faire. Here, 13th-generation artisans reinterpret traditional needlework and weaving into modern forms.
Chorus cafe
Chorus wellness
| Photo Credit:
Ryan Martis
“Through Chorus, we realised that the voice of craft transcends disciplines,” Karishma explains. “We’ve always looked at craft not only through fashion but also through culture and the arts — it’s a fertile platform that lets us collaborate, to move beyond boundaries.”
Modern luxury
This cross-disciplinary spirit finds form in the Autumn/Winter 2025 collection, titled Other Worlds. The line marks a quiet shift — deliberate, curious, and rooted in feeling. Chorus draws from the infinite possibilities of craft but refracts them through a contemporary lens: proportions shift, surfaces disrupt expectations, and familiar silhouettes take on new dimensions. Floral motifs recur throughout, embroidered, sculpted, or imagined in the weave. “They’re not literal blooms,” Karishma notes. “They’re like memories—flowers with too many petals, leaves that hold stories.” In some pieces, petals unfold across hems or shoulders; in others, 3D crystal brooches gather into delicate, wearable bouquets.
Looks from the RTW collection
| Photo Credit:
DRIU CRILLY & TIAGO MARTEL
The brand’s signature organic denim remains central — handwoven from rain-fed kala cotton and dyed with natural indigo. Chorus also collaborates with heritage looms in Tamil Nadu and the weaving communities of Maheshwar, weaving old-world precision into new-world design.
“Our ready-to-wear is advanced contemporary,” Karishma says. “It’s everyday, but elevated by the quiet intelligence of handcraft. With Edition, we explore rarer textile histories through a modern lens. And with Concept, we let curiosity lead — creating objects of beauty and meaning. Each vertical is a voice, and together they form a conversation led by courage, curiosity, and freedom of expression.”
Looks from the RTW collection
| Photo Credit:
DRIU CRILLY & TIAGO MARTEL
And perhaps that is what defines this new phase best. Chorus is not just a label — it is an ecosystem, one that honours legacy while creating space for discovery. In Karishma’s words, “It’s not about being old or new, couture or contemporary. It’s about creating something that feels alive.”
Published – November 06, 2025 02:48 pm IST
