Inside the living atelier, where handwoven textures, ancient botanicals and dreamy couture come alive

Here, whimsy meets structure, and crafts meet form. As India’s design language gains international traction and we seek what a conscious, culturally rooted global brand should look like, Karishma Swali, one of the country’s leading voices in craft innovation, steps forward with a quiet but decisive answer: Chorus.

- Sumita Bagchi

The new flagship in Kala Ghoda occupies the same space that housed Moonray, the label she built with her daughter, Avantika, but its ambition is significantly broader. Spread across three gallery-like floors, the space unfolds as a multidisciplinary atelier that moves fluidly between fashion, art, objects, rituals and food. Housing Chorus Ready-to-Wear, Chorus Concept (artistic studio of objets dart), Chorus Wellness, Chorus Edition—a couture sanctum—and the Chorus Café on the top floor, Swali has created a truly India-proud brand.

As the Creative Director of Chanakya International and the mind behind the Chanakya School of Craft, which works with international fashion houses such as Dior and Fendi, she describes Chorus as “a living atelier that effortlessly jumps between practices and disciplines.” She reflects on the evolution from Moonray to Chorus as a natural one—shaped by craft, consciousness, and a deepening sense of responsibility. “When Avantika and I started Moonray in 2021, our idea was really to be able to celebrate craft and modernity in a way that was accessible and available, but rooted in consciousness.”