Akané

Juhi and Janhavi are sisters and the founders of Akané, a brand rooted in natural dyeing and handmade textiles. They work with natural dyes to create clothing and accessories, offer dyeing services, and conduct workshops to share their process. Their practice is centered on working closely with fabric, color, and nature, using traditional methods that involve hand preparation, small-batch dyeing, and slow production. Their journey began with a shared inclination toward making and working with color from a young age. Janhavi discovered natural dyeing during her master’s degree in 2016, where it began as a project and slowly became her primary practice. Juhi joined the journey in 2019, after studying fashion and realizing she wanted to work outside the corporate system, with a stronger focus on sustainability. Together, they built Akané as a space to explore natural dyeing through textiles. Their process involves scouring and mordanting fabrics, extracting color from flowers, leaves, roots, and seeds, and embracing the natural variations that come with each batch. Working mainly with handwoven fabrics, they value the connection to material, makers, and process, and approach their work as a continuous practice of learning, experimentation, and care.