Threads of Passion: Maison Candelé Unwrapped
Article from issue 1 of ‘later’ – the Parsons Paris alumni magazine.
Story by Jamie Mars, Featuring Kritika Kohli.
Kritika Kohli is a 26-year-old Fashion MFA graduate from Parsons Paris class of 2021. Hailing from Delhi, since finishing her studies, she’s found herself nested in her Parisian home from which she runs her brand, @maisoncandele, and her freelance social media and management business. She joins us today to tell us more about what trusting the process looks like for her.
Hey, Kritika, thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me. This is very exciting.
I am very happy to be here as well.
I feel like this is kind of an organic way that we’ve ended up collaborating. We initially met at the alumni drinks over the summer and connected on a lot of concepts and creative processes, and now it feels really cool to be able to sit here and talk to you about some of those things for print. It’s really an honor.
It’s an honor for me as well because it’s always a good time speaking and exchanging with you, and I want to thank Parsons for that because, as you said, we met at an alumni event that really helped me connect with you and other peers and just bonded.
Yeah, big shout-out to Parsons, which is also a great way to transition to my first question: Why Parsons Paris? Obviously, Parsons New York has a big reputation that carries over into our Paris campus. However, it is a choice to make. Why here instead of there, and why did you choose to stay in Paris afterward?
Paris was my first choice always because of the culture and heritage of fashion that comes with this city. France, and Paris in particular, is the birthplace of many luxury fashion houses like Chanel, Schiaparelli, and even now Jacquemus. Although he is from the south of France, but still France all the same. It is things like this that motivated me to choose the Paris campus because I thought that with the reputation [the school] has in fashion, I would be getting the best of both worlds: The Parsons American education in the city of my liking. Just being in Paris is an experience because everywhere you go, people are wearing such amazing fashion that I feel personally inspired every day. More than that, the discourse created during the fashion weeks here is like no other. I’ve had the opportunity to attend London, Milan, and New York Fashion Week, but the vibe of Paris Fashion Week is just different. Personally, I feel that if you want a career in fashion, Paris is the place to be.
You’re absolutely right. Now more than ever, we see through social media immediately what’s happening at all these fashion weeks in real-time, and there’s this element of “fascination” that’s just missing from all the other ones. I’m not going to say that the content isn’t interesting. For example, Elena Velez, who also attended Parsons Paris and now has a New York-based brand, is creating some great stuff, but that’s all that comes to mind immediately. Meanwhile, you get to Paris, and suddenly, you have a litany of names, which is really cool. Speaking of cool, your passion for the luxury sector has recently led you down a new path. After spending some time working in the corporate side of fashion last year, you decided to start up your brand, Maison Candelé. Congratulations on that. That’s a big deal.
Thank you!
How long has the idea of creating your brand been sitting with you?
The idea of creating the brand has actually been sitting with me since I was 15, so it’s been quite a while now that I’ve wanted to start something of my own. I feel like I am very entrepreneurial. For me, the end goal was always to have something of my own, not because of ego or whatever, but because personally, I feel like I have so much creativity that I want to get out there. While working for the corporate world, that is what I felt was lacking. I wanted to express my creativity in a way that I wanted to. I’ve had the opportunity to work for GQ Magazine, Vivienne Westwood, and Mastermind Magazine, and I am so grateful I had these experiences because it’s given me a chance to see behind the scenes the work of tailors and other creatives, which has motivated me to see where I can stand in this industry. Starting something of my own has been a dream since I was a child, but it was these experiences that have given me the confidence I needed to do so. I can give everything and be there for my brand and showcase these ideas in my head now. It’s been a good journey so far, and it’s not even been a year since I started the brand.
And what would you say is the spirit of the brand?
I really wanted to do something that is not out there right now. I think the current trend in fashion is sustainability and to do your bit for the environment. When I first had this idea of the brand, the trend was vintage fashion. For example, Vestaire Collective was becoming super big at the time. However, what felt missing was something that was truly sustainable from the start. People were creating sustainability after [the product] was produced. I wanted to answer the question of “How can we be sustainable from the start? How do we make something in fashion that will be good for your wardrobe AND will last longer? Something that is slow fashion and high quality while also being accessible?” All these things that I saw were huge gaps because whenever I wanted as a customer to go out there and buy something responsible, I felt as though I couldn’t. Whether it be fast fashion brands or larger luxury brands, for that matter, no matter how sustainable they try to be, the fabrics they use are sometimes synthetic. I am sure these big fashion houses are doing their bit, but I am not sure if it’s from scratch – from the point of design.
I felt there was a gap and something I wanted to do about it. I wanted to launch designs which were fashionable but also at the same time classic and could go with everything. They could be paired or layered, so you don’t have to buy a lot. I also wanted to make sure that they were produced in a sustainable manner, so all of the pieces were handmade and produced in limited quantities. We won’t do a new collection until every piece is sold out from the first collection.
This was my initiative towards having less waste in the fashion industry, which is another huge point which I felt was missing: How do the big luxury brands handle the waste of their already produced products?
I think it’s really great that you are committed to this mission and figuring out a solution of this nature because this is the future that we need to be seeing from this industry if we want to stay on this planet much longer. It’s insane how much fashion contributes to the global climate crisis. I’m a big fan of the slow-fashion mentality. We need more pieces in our wardrobe that stand the test of time.
Yeah, with Maison Candelé, my exact goal was for every customer to have a piece they could keep for years and years to come. The fabrics I’m using are all-natural fabrics, such as silk, which can last for years. I come from an Indian family, and there’s this big tradition of hand-me-down sarees. Sarees are basically like dresses that are made with silk. They can be made with other materials, but the biggest one is silk. This fabric can last generations, and I currently wear sometimes my great-grandmother’s saree. And I personally think it looks totally new. It’s how I got inspired to create my first collection out of silk because it’s so sustainable. Unless you tear it or burn it, it will not get damaged. I also feel that it is the best fabric for a summer collection. Also, everyone should own a silk piece because you can layer it even in the winter with a sweater or a coat, and you’re good to go.
Next year, I will be launching a winter collection, which will be made most probably from Cashmere. Cashmere is also a naturally produced fabric, and it lasts generations. India is also a big producer of Cashmere, and I have also owned sweaters which have lasted for generations made out of this fabric. For me I have also felt that we are lacking amazing pieces made with cashmere, wool, or silk because they are not easily accessible since they are mostly available at luxury price brand price tags. Like, thousands of euros or something. Students and general customers cannot afford to invest that much money in a sweater. That’s why they go for fast fashion brands, and the question “Is it sustainable?” never arrives.
It’s amazing and impressive to hear you speak about so many different facts regarding the brand because you’ve organically proven how much time and research you’ve conducted to make sure you know what the ethics of your brand are, as well as to how you can make sure that you’re getting your message out there. That’s a lot of hats to wear which, and as business owners, we often find ourselves juggling many different roles simultaneously. What would you say is the biggest role you take on right now at Maison Candelé?
It is currently a small brand, so I am in charge of practically everything, starting from designing the product to researching the fabrics. One thing I have left and delegated to other people is the stitching because I wanted the stitching to be super professional, and I only work with freelancers who have very good experience in this department and who can make the dresses into something well-made and super luxurious. Freelance models and photographers..also help me translate my ideas into the finished products and images. But coming back to the hats I wear: the production and designing hat the marketing hat because of my past in corporate marketing. I would say that may be my main hat. Also the sales and customer service hat too.
The goal would be to have my studio where people can come, and the dresses are tailor-made according to their sizes, so it’s even more precise and even less waste-producing. In the future, that’s where I want to be.
You also do independent social media and management work when you’re not working on your brand. That makes me wonder what you think about the current social media landscape. What’s your approach to posting?
That’s an amazing question. I feel like the current social media landscape is something that is driven by this word: ephemeral. I feel like what’s really big now is giving viewers something ephemeral in two to three seconds. If you have a knack for producing a small excerpt of what your brand is, or your agency is for that matter, and can catch the attention for a view within the first two-ten seconds max, you are a successful social media manager because that means you produced something that’s engaging, has the right keywords for SEOs, the right hashtags, the right visuals. You have to be very in touch with the trends on social media because you have to use what’s going on right now, what’s the trend, the music. You have to inculcate that somehow to be out there and to be able to market and compete with bigger brands.
I feel this ever-changing, super-dynamic landscape interests me because I am a person who is very inspired by change. I love to be, you know, learning something new every day. That’s why I diverted my career towards social media initially from my management background. I feel like I learn every day. I can’t say there is a formula for a post to work well. I have friends who work in or have started their social media agencies, and everyone has the same experience. They don’t know what works because every day is so different. Like, okay, yesterday this reel worked, but today it’s not working because social media is so ephemeral that just like that, itvanished, and now you have to produce something new.
Doing freelance work in social media helps me gain a lot of exposure for my brand because working for other brands really inspires me and makes me feel like, “Wow, this is what they’re doing. Maybe I should get super inspired by this” or even make something better or similar for my brand. Freelancing for other brands is my college. I would say it’s where I go to learn.
The pursuit of that never-ending well of knowledge is definitely something we clicked on at some point when we first met.
How has your schedule changed since transitioning into this more entrepreneurial status versus your previous corporate life?
To be honest, I feel it is something that I’m still working on because it’s difficult to master. I would say because when you work in a corporate environment, you have a set schedule: you leave for work at nine, you come back at six, and you have some drinks or whatever, and then your day is over. However, when you’re an entrepreneur, you are working 24/7. Whether I’m in my bed, waking up, or during lunch, I’m going through my work. I would say a schedule doesn’t really exist because I’m never like, “Okay, it’s done.” If my phone is in my hand, I feel as though I am working. No matter what, though, I try to work from 11 AM to 1 PM, and then I take a break and have lunch. Then I start again at 2:30 or 3 PM, and I work till 6 PM. That is something I feel really motivates me to just sit and work, though it can change and is a bit flexible since that’s the privilege of being an entrepreneur and freelancer. Like, yeah, of course, you’re working 24/7, but at the same time, I feel very much at peace and love to have this kind of freedom where I can work while I’m traveling. I can have a change of space instead of being in one office all the time, which is interesting. While I enjoyed working for other brands, there is no freedom per se to be able to just go to some other place and do the work because you must be constantly answerable to your boss. I feel like it’s a big thing to be able to feel inspired at 11 a.m. and be able to work at 11 AM and be super productive instead of working deliberately at 9 AM because I HAVE to work. It’s more like going with the flow and with that feeling of knowing I am going to produce awesome results, so I’m going to sit down right now and produce work. I feel that this is a privilege, to be honest.
I agree. It was definitely a selling point for me when I decided to go freelance. The opportunity to be able to dictate my office and what it can look like is one of the coolest feelings in the world. That being said, it can be hard at first to find what your office looks like. I’m a big work-from-home kind of person, are you? Or do you prefer co-working spaces to separate work from home?
I am a super work-from-home kind of person. I love to be in my personal space, and I feel most inspired in my home. I don’t know if many people experience this, but I feel like that thoughts come to me better when I’m in this comfortable cocoon. I can just be myself and think at ease, so everything comes to me naturally. Of course, sometimes I’m like, “Let’s go out,” so I go to nice cafes. We are so lucky to be living in Paris. Sometimes, I go to gardens, like the Jardin du Luxembourg or Jardin Tuileries, and work from there. I feel inspired looking at other people, and it’s really fun, to be honest. But, yeah, I must confess I have never worked at a coworking space. I don’t think I’m ready for that. I’m super into being alone to get inspired. I get a lot of ideas working alone.
Home can be quite a meditative space. Are you keeping it casual or dressing up to work from home?
It totally depends. If I have a meeting, I’m definitely dressing up and being my professional self. For me, the ‘dressing up’ moment is my motivating 10 minutes that really builds that kind of encouragement inside me, so I love to dress up when I dealing with other people. If I’m working alone on a project, though, then I’m super chill. I like to be in a very comfortable environment.
Totally. At the end of a long work week where you’ve gotten all of the ideas out there, how are you decompressing?
For me, yoga is where I decompress. I really believe in meditation. I feel privileged to come from Indian society because it is in our culture to do yoga. I did yoga when I was in high school. It was part of the curriculum. At that time, I hated it, but now that I’m 26 recently, I got really inspired to get back into it because I need that time and meditative space to capture all my thoughts and really be one with myself and just be calm and chill. Even when I’m doing asana, I’m super chill and calm. It’s just like meditation. If I’m super stressed, I come back home and do 10 minutes of yoga or 20 minutes of meditation, and I feel so much better. Namaste.
You literally hit the reset button and feel like you can handle anything and that everything is going to be okay. It’s super cool that you come from the culture that originated it. That’s amazing. That brings us to our last question: what can’t you live without?
One thing that I can’t live without is definitely my friends—especially my friends who work in social media. As a freelancer, you don’t really have colleagues, so I treat them as my colleagues. I feel like they really inspire me. I get inspired by my friends every day. I love talking to individuals who come from different backgrounds. I have friends who are lawyers, who are doctors, friends who are not in fashion. I feel they make me think of things outside of this industry and open my horizons a lot. If I’m facing some issue, then I can just go to my social media colleagues and friends to talk to them about it, and they can always guide me in the right direction. So that’s something I feel I can not live without. Having a good support system is very important. Oh, and parents, I don’t even have to mention them, but they are the biggest support system. In terms of what I can’t live without professionally, it’s my research. I feel you cannot produce something amazing if you are not thoroughly researched about it, and that is something I cannot live without. That’s something I’m doing every day, and it’s become a part of the routine.
