“A hippie? Really?” exclaims Anne Chassaing. “Is that what they’re calling me now?” She thinks for a minute and then looks around her boutique cum café, a place filled with things brought together from different parts of the world.
It’s certainly not the first description that springs to mind when you visit ‘Of Silk & Salt’ in the lanes of Patan. Anne is the Founder and Creative Designer behind the label. Originating from France, Anne visited Nepal as part of Red Cross’s humanitarian project. “It was many years back. During my visit, I fell in love with the festivals, colours, fabrics, tiny lanes and of course the people,” recalls Anne. She came back to the country three years back with a plan to start her label. “My husband is into cafes and I love fabrics so we merged these two and came up with the concept of boutique cum café,” she shares. Such concept stores are prominently practiced abroad but in Nepal, only a handful of them exist.
In addition to the boutique, which began with up-cycled silk kimono then diversified into silk shirt, clutch, dress, belt, scarf and now has included contemporary jewellery to it. Anne further plans to move into designing and producing cashmere shawls by early 2021.
“I design clothes for contemporary women who love fabrics like dhaka and pure silk but can’t wear it like it should be worn traditionally. This is thereason I have dhaka kimonos, silk shirts, dresses, etc. These go hand-in-hand with the modern women.”
As the photographer takes picture inbetween the interview, Anne leans forward and whispers, “Okay, I don’t come from the generation of selfies and am not so camera friendly but a smile can do wonders for pictures”.
Anne’s personality, like her designs is a curious blend of colour with a pinch of French elegance. “I design clothes for contemporary women who love fabrics like dhaka and pure silk but can’t wear it like it should be worn traditionally. This is the reason I have dhaka kimonos, silk shirts, dresses, etc. These go hand-in-hand with the modern women,” she elaborates.
In her 40s, Anne has travelled to a number of countries as part of Red Cross. Whether it was Africa or India, she was amazed with the fabrics being manufactured. “I always love the stories behind every fabric. These stories attract me and I sum up getting different fabrics home and then decide what to design,” she smiles.
Despite adding some bling over the years to the designs, Anne hasn’t changed the very core elements. She has kept it sustainable through up-cylced fabrics and involved Seven Women Organisation in its manufacturing. “I never copy what happens in the mainstream. Most designers follow fast fashion. But ugh… Why would we want to create something which wouldn’t last long? You can never do great design if you are not connected to the local culture,” she states. Her association with Seven Women exists since the beginning. Agreeing that it’s tough to get a design correct in the first few samples but eventually they catch it right. “I am very picky in nature,” she jokes.
Her presence on Instagram helps her reach the masses as well as her association with Timro Concept Store. “I don’t want people to wear my designs for just once or twice, I would rather want them to pass that piece of design to the generations ahead,” she says.
“You can never do great design if you are not connected to the local culture.”
The contemporary jewellery addition to her label is part of her lockdown creativity. “I have always loved Nepali potte but it blended well only with ethnic attires. To make it look prominent and match every attire, I played with the colours, volume and length,” she reveals. As a result, her potte collection comes in a pastel palette, thick in volume and collar length. It is also available in the form of bracelets.
Anne is planning to place her products in central Kathmandu for more outreach and is currently working with cashmere weavers. “I am eagerly waiting for the magic to happen. My designs on cashmere would be my newest addition to the label,” she rejoices.
Of Silk & Salt, Anne states was built in a very different atmosphere. “At that time I really believed in this idea of creating an example for sustainable fashion, of living in a community that you really care about. I do believe you can make small changes. And I like the idea that this brand has now become a living being.”
