Jessica, Minneapolis Store Associate, on Mehera Shaw Clothing

June 23, 2009

As a woman in her now mid-twenties, I’ve come to the point in my style life where I realize that my wardrobe is not quite professional and just on the edge of being “grown up.”
This is not especially surprising. I graduated from college only two years ago and my career has taken me from being an elementary school teacher in Japan (no place for silks and suits) to being a freelance writer and illustrator (where I can work in pajama pants and a t-shirt) to an Associate at the Mehera Shaw boutique in Minneapolis. Only now, working in the Fashion sector, is my wardrobe becoming more polished. I absolutely give the credit for this to Shari Keller’s designs for Mehera Shaw. All aspects of our clothing – the cuts, the colors, the prints, and the production ethics- inspire me immensely. I feel polished but feminine and entirely my own in my clothes from our store. More than anything, when I wear Mehera Shaw, I feel more confident and classically individual.

My personal style has come a long way since I first discovered pleated miniskirts and Doc Martens in high school, but it’s obvious that there have been two constants in my clothing history: COLOR and PRINT. My biggest style influences have always been the 1960s (with Mod London’s use of color and simple cuts to make bold statements) and the 1920s (with an increasingly internationally-inspired silhouettes and motifs and the dedication to artisan details and techniques). Mehera Shaw fits me perfectly since it takes aspects of both of these eras and incorporates them into a modern, polished look; the clothes are bright, colorful, unique, and incredibly well-made. When I look around our store, I find my favorite mod day dress re-imagined as a red paisley print shift, a prohibition-era gamine look embodied in turquoise cropped topstitched trousers, and the modern tunic as a reminder of the inspiration I draw from traditional world costume.

Like many, I’m also increasingly committed to Fair Trade practices and a have a strong preference for buying handmade goods. As a consumer, I want to send my money to the artists and artisans themselves, and I feel positive about buying at Mehera Shaw since I know that it will be fairly supporting everyone involved at our studio in Jaipur. When making a purchase at our store, I’m also supporting the farmers in India who provide the organic cotton and silk used to make our fabrics. Finally, as a former Asian Art major and all around “art geek,” I’m thrilled to be able to purchase contemporary versions of the centuries-old Indian artistic tradition of woodblock printed clothing.

Mehera Shaw has absolutely contributed to me ever-changing sense of style. I really am inspired by being surrounded by such beautiful, fun, and joyful clothing all day, and am always looking forward to what’s next for us!

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