SWIATLO

Chronemics is the role of time in communication

India, along with most of the global south, is a polychronic culture whereas our hometown NYC is a monochronic culture. Polychronic cultures do many things at once; time is free-flowing with distractions and interruptions as an accepted part of life. Busy roadways with no enforced directionality, people talking all together and savagely colorful textiles clashing and contrasting in the streets. POLYCHRONIC is a love letter to the chaotic beauty of craft, color and the Indian culture in which it is all possible.

POLYCHRONIC 2022

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East x West

Built in New York and bred in New Delhi, Swiatlo is an international fashion brand with a love for global craft and cultural exchange. We believe in unabashed self-expression via uniquely designed and ethically produced small batch collections

Our mission is twofold: to adorn you in high-quality well-designed colorful forever pieces, and to contribute to sustaining indigenous craft techniques while supporting women makers in India. We are honored to have you with us on this journey!

Swiatlo was founded in 2019 by Parsons alumni Elizabeth Hartman, an American with Polish heritage.

Meet Our Founder

Meet Our Blockprinter for POLYCHRONIC: Afzal in Ajrakhpur

What Are Ajrakh blockprints?

The first film in our artisan partner docu-series: an interview with our blockprint craftsman Afzal Khatri filmed in Bhuj, Gujarat. What does it take to make this mystical and intricate textile?

MISSIONS

WOMEN
The 4 stitching units we work with in North India are all women-owned and women-operated. 3 of them also function as tailoring, managerial and entrepreneurship skills training centers.
CRAFT
Handmade blockprint textiles made with natural dyes are our passion. We work closely with individual printers in Ajrakhpur, Gujarat and around Rajasthan.
RELOVE
Pre-loved textiles inspire us with the possibilities of their previous lives; stories and experiences we stitch together anew. Each piece is one-of-a-kind. Besides, why not use what we already have?