Photo: Courtesy of Mirza Nurman Syarieff/The Bulgari, Bali

New Bali brand Kalita is taking the fashion world by storm, thanks to its sophisticated beach-chic look: it’s already been picked up by Matches Fashion and Moda Operandi. We catch up with the brand’s founders Kalita Al Swaidi and Raechel Temily on an exclusive shoot in Bali, to find out about the brand’s beginnings… and what comes next. 

How did you two meet?

Kally: We met in London through mutual friends about two and a half years ago. Our connection was immediate, but I think it’s safe to say that neither of us knew what lay ahead in terms of the creative path we were going to take together.

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Describe the brand in three words.

Rae: Inspirational. Minimal. Unforgettable.

When did Matches and Moda Operandi sign the label?

Rae: MatchesFashion was our very first stockist. One of their strengths is not just having a keen eye for new brands coming through, but supporting young labels that they believe in. We felt incredibly fortunate to have had their support from the outset.

It wasn’t until our third season, for the current Muse collection that we’re dropping in-store now, that we started working with Moda Operandi.

Photo: Courtesy of Mirza Nurman Syarieff/The Bulgari, Bali

What sets you apart from other resort wear brands?

Rae: I think people have this perception of resort wear brands as being kaftans and bright prints, basic cover-ups in flat, cut-out shapes. Or ‘holiday’ clothes you’d never wear for the rest of your life. That’s the antithesis of what we’re about.

Kally: We’re also making clothes that aren’t easily boxed into that ‘holiday wardrobe’ genre. You’ll definitely want to take Kalita with you when you’re off to a destination event or travelling to some far-flung exotic place where you want to take amazing photos. But when you get home, you’ll still want to wear that dress. You might pair it with a leather jacket and ankle boots, or over a shrunken white tee with a pair of trainers, but you’ll still be wearing it. That’s really what makes us different.

What is your design process?

Kally: Everything we do is considered and detail-oriented. Our pieces are finished with French seams. You can turn our dresses inside out and apart from the label, you almost wouldn’t notice. We use toiles for development, pinning and cutting directly on a mannequin so that we can see how the fabric drapes and falls.

Rae: Colour is one of our signatures. Our fabrics are hand-dyed—which is no easy task when some of our dresses have six, or even ten, metres of fabric in them. A lot of our pieces are cut on the bias, which is a nightmare for fabric consumption but results in the most sublime fit. We put an extraordinary amount of effort into achieving beautifully finished garments which feel and look like a dream, but that are relaxed enough to wear almost anywhere.

Photo: Courtesy of Mirza Nurman Syarieff/The Bulgari, Bali

How did you feel when you saw your first cover for Vogue India?

Kally: Seeing Kalita on the cover of Vogue India was incredible. They actually got in touch with us via Instagram. We had no idea when we sent samples to them for the shoot that they’d end up on the cover. They styled the pieces exactly the way we would have—in the most languid, effortless way. We haven’t really celebrated the little victories we’ve had along the way in the last year, but we won’t lie—we gave ourselves the rest of the day off and toasted it with a bottle of Ruinart at the Ivy. It was a standout Monday! 

How long have you been involved in the fashion industry?

Kally: I’ve always had a love of beautifully crafted clothes. I created a collection of bespoke knickers when I first left university and before I knew it, I was stocked in Harrods. I wasn’t really ready to turn it into a fully-fledged label at the time though. I also modelled for quite a few years. It wasn’t until I met Rae that I really made the leap. Being able to share the experience with someone else has been a really special thing.

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Rae: Before we started the brand, I had spent the past few years working in Southeast Asia—travelling to far-flung outposts of the Indonesian archipelago to document the regional food culture, consulting on culinary content for celebrity chefs, doing interior and food styling in some pretty amazing locations. My professional background is in media strategy and brand development, and I think that easily translates across quite a few platforms in today’s creative arena.

What are your biggest obstacles as a brand?

Kalita: Living and working in different countries is a huge challenge. We’re rarely in the same city, or even the same country, at the same time. Different time zones can make communication tricky because our working days only overlap for a brief time. But it’s also one of our strengths as a small start-up, because it means our business runs on a 24-hour schedule—when Rae is finishing her work day in Bali, our London office is just opening. We’ve learned to adapt.

Photo: Courtesy of Mirza Nurman Syarieff/The Bulgari, Bali

Where do your inspirations come from?

Kally: They can come from anywhere—a faded patina, the colours of Cuba, the way a girl wears her hair on the beach… I remember what inspired me to start designing was this girl on the beach in Mykonos. I had worked so hard on my holiday wardrobe and when I saw her I just wanted to throw away all my clothes and start again.

She looked so effortless—barefoot, hair tied in a scarf, skin the colour of terracotta, a mismatching bikini and a halter dress worn as a skirt with the halter tying it around her waist… She was just the dream girl from Ipanema, and when she passed there was this collective sigh.

What has been your most memorable moment so far on the Kalita journey?

Rae: Our debut collection online with Matches sold out completely in less than two weeks. Our Moda Operandi launch, without a doubt. About four days into our first proper trunk show with them, they let us know it had been a total success and that orders were coming in thick and fast.

Kally: And the support we’ve had from industry icons—Taylor Tomasi Hill hunting us down to see our Muse collection in Paris—and loving it. That was thrilling.

Photo: Courtesy of Mirza Nurman Syarieff/The Bulgari, Bali

What's your approach to sustainable fashion?

Kally: The elements of our business that are anchored to sustainability and conscious consumerism will continue to expand and grow. We already work very hard on that front—not as a marketing soundbite to sell clothes, but so we can be proud of what we do and how we produce the label.

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Where would you like to see yourselves in five years?

Rae: We’ve given a lot of thought to how we can ensure that the brand continues to strengthen and really last. We want to create such a clear, identifiable aesthetic that when you see one of our dresses across the room, you just know it’s Kalita without even asking. Developing that within the brand, building upon it season after season, is one of our key goals. We hope that in five years’ time, we will have learnt even more and that Kalita will continue to be a brand that makes women feel powerful and beautiful, just as they are. 

kalita.co.uk

See also: Behind-The-Scenes In Bali With Kalita

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