A New Home for Craft in Mumbai. Chorus is a New Philosophy of Luxury
From architectural fashion to couture mastery, material exploration, ritual-led wellbeing and communal dining, Chorus is a complete universe of craft that unfolds.
In Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda, a new voice in craft takes centre stage. Chorus, the multidisciplinary atelier envisioned by Karishma and Avantika Swali, builds on Chanakya International’s 40-year legacy while looking ahead. It’s a place where clay, cloth, scent and every material in between are treated not as objects, but as storytellers.
“Chorus is a space beyond fixed definitions, where disciplines blur, and the unexpected takes shape,” says Co-founder and Creative Director Karishma Swali, who is also the Creative Director, Chanakya International and Founder & Chairperson, Chanakya Foundation and Chanakya School of Craft.
Chorus expands its universe of craft across fashion, art, wellbeing, and community. Ready-to-Wear defines contemporary luxury with architectural clarity and responsible materials, while Chorus Edition elevates couture through centuries-old craft and avant-garde form. Chorus Concept explores material poetry through textiles, ceramics, and glass, and Chorus Wellness transforms daily rituals through plant-based scents and care. At the heart of the flagship, Chorus Café becomes a gathering place — where creativity and conversation meet.
Part gallery, part laboratory of ideas, the flagship unfolds across three levels: natural stone underfoot, sculpted light above, and handcrafted works embedded in the structure. Earth, air, light, water: here, material meets intuition, and tradition meets innovation.
More than preservation, Chorus champions craft as a collaborative, living language connecting makers and materials, the past and possible futures. It’s alive. Joyful. And open to endless reimagining.
Karishma Swali in conversation with Beejliving’s Founder, Neeti Mehra.
What does slow living mean to you today, beyond the rhetoric of sustainability and craft?
Slow living, for me, is first a way of being. Beyond sustainability or craft, it is a way of honouring the inner rhythms that often get lost in the pace of life. It is a return to stillness and, in many ways, a return to oneself.
What was the inner impulse behind moving from Moonray to Chorus? Was it a creative pivot, a life pivot, or both?
From the very beginning, we envisioned Moonray as a joyful, welcoming space where craft and consciousness could meet naturally. As we continued to grow, our creative practice expanded, inviting new questions, broader forms, and deeper dialogues. It became clear that what had begun with Moonray was ready to evolve into something more expansive.
“Chorus is that evolution: a natural next chapter that carries forward the spirit of Moonray while opening space for more voices, mediums, and shared possibilities. At Chorus, we pay homage to the act of making itself: the quiet devotion, the rhythm of hands, and the collective energy that allows creativity to take form.“
The new atelier in Kala Ghoda feels meditative. What was the thought behind the design?
We wanted the atelier to be alive and changing. Each level shifts mood and scale so that people move through light, texture, and material seamlessly. The aim was to build a space that invites both gathering and discovery: the second floor where Edition and the Café meet, for example, feels like the heart of that spirit. The design is meant to reveal how craft works across media and how meaning is felt as much as seen.
You’ve long worked at the intersection of craft, couture, and consciousness. Where do you think Indian craftsmanship fits in the global context, especially contemporary labels such as Chorus?
“Indian craftsmanship has always been a living continuum of knowledge and skill. What stands out to me is the way artisans work with such discipline and honesty. There is an intimacy in handmaking, a clarity in how materials are understood, and a precision in how forms are shaped.”
These qualities give Indian craft a natural place in the global landscape, because people everywhere respond to work that is sincere and made with attention.
At Chorus, we try to build on this foundation through a process that begins with research and moves into experimentation. We study embroidery, weaving, and textile construction closely, and then look for new ways to shape and interpret them. In ready-to-wear, for example, we lighten Madras checks into softer tones of pink and yellow to create something familiar yet fresh. We create hand-embroidered micro-bead botanical brooches that can be worn in multiple ways.
In Chorus Concept, we weave pure cashmere and merino shawls into contemporary checks. All of this is guided by the same intention to let the language of handcraft evolve while staying relevant today. In this way, Indian craftsmanship is not only globally relevant it is deeply resonant. It offers honesty, slowness, and beauty shaped through intention, and these are values that continue to matter everywhere.
Chorus’ creative universe is shared with Avantika, your daughter. How does working together shape the energy of Chorus? Is it about shared values or generational differences? What are the challenges?
Working with Avantika is something I feel deeply grateful for. Ideas move between us quietly and with ease. They shift, overlap and often take on a life of their own.
There is a natural rhythm in the way we think. Some perspectives are rooted in experience, others sparked by fresh eyes and intuition, and it is in the meeting of these that new possibilities open. It does not feel like two generations at work, but rather a shared language that continues to evolve.
The energy of Chorus grows from this dialogue, shaped by curiosity, respect and a sense of purpose that we hold together.
“If Chorus were a feeling, it would be joy. What excites me most is the openness to explore, to experiment, and to let ideas take shape in unexpected ways.”
How did you develop the Chorus ecosystem? What has been your experience working with Tina, Nikita, Joohi, Renu, and the artisans? What is the collaborative process and the challenges of working with such a diverse set of partners?
Chorus grew from a spirit of inquiry and curiosity. We chose to work as a collective because the kind of work we do becomes stronger when different ways of thinking come together. Each person in the collective, Tina and Nikita, Joohi, Renu, and our master artisans, brings their own perspective and skill, and that diversity creates depth in the studio.
Working together does require coordination across methods, timelines, and materials, but these are not problems so much as part of the process. We navigate them through mutual respect, steady communication, and a way of working that relies on iteration rather than fixed ideas. What holds the ecosystem together is a belief in shared authorship and in making work that carries the imprint of many hands, not just one.
You’ve often spoken about beauty being an extension of harmony. In a world obsessed with speed and visibility, what keeps you grounded, and what does beauty mean to you?
In a world that often moves too quickly, beauty becomes a way of returning to myself. It asks me to pause, to listen, and to notice details that are easy to miss. What keeps me grounded is the everyday rhythm of the atelier, the presence of the artisans, the feel of materials being shaped slowly, and the clarity that comes from working with the hands.
Could you tell us about the concept behind Chorus Wellness? What made you enter the wellbeing space? As we enter the festive season, what rituals or moments do you personally hold on to?
Wellness is an extension of the same intention we bring to clothes and objects: make everyday ritual gentle and beautiful. The Wellness line grew from wanting small, carefully made objects – botanical oils, soaps and candles, that turn ordinary gestures into moments of care.
“Personally, in the festive season, I return to simple rituals: nourishing the skin, tending plants, and choosing wholesome meals. These small acts of care feel grounding amid the season’s busyness.“
Festivals often carry the chaos of “newness”, new clothes, new beginnings. How do you reconcile that with your belief in continuity and timeless design?
Festivals naturally bring a sense of newness, but I don’t see that as separate from continuity. Newness feels meaningful to me only when it grows out of things that already hold value. I have always gravitated toward pieces that are made with intention, objects that can live with you long after the celebrations end. The festive season becomes less about constant renewal and more about deepening the things that truly matter.
