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Sachin Choyal’s parents visualised a conventional academic career for him while he did his bachelors at Punjab University, but he had very different plans for himself. As a student, he won a series of embroidery and design-related competitions, pushing his parents to let him follow his dreams.
He enrolled at The Design Village, Noida. This was the launching pad for his entrepreneurial ambitions; he was selected for the Milan Design Fair in his final year and engaged with rural communities during his research project. These experiences helped him conceptualise Choyal from Rural, a design label that focuses on rural India and storytelling. Their products are all made by people in rural Rajasthan, mostly women.
“I was doing my research project with these communities; I got very inspired by these women,” Sachin tells Object. When he first met them, they were making papad at home and earning a meagre income. Sachin spoke to them at length, and these discussions led to the birth of the brand.
Sachin comes from rural Haryana; Choyal from Rural not only is an attempt to go back to his roots but also empower people. The atmosphere at work isn’t like a typical office, he says, “It’s like home.”
He wants people in rural areas to own the skills they have, and recognise their value.”Even the local tailor has so many skills, but they think that the designs made in cities are completely different. They do not know how to utilise their skills.” That’s what motivated him to start training them himself.
Most of Choyal from Royal’s products are unisex shirts—and that’s because Sachin saw a gap in the market. “I saw during my research that you don't get delicate touches or embroidery on shirts; when a boy or man wears our shirt, he might not look smart, but he might look cute,” he says. “That was something we wanted to do in men's wear. …Women also say that they like the shirts: 'Our boyfriends can wear them and we can also wear them'. So we knew we had to start with shirts and then take baby steps to move forward.”
Back to the Roots: Sachin Choyal’s ‘Choyal from Rural’ empowers Rajasthan’s artisans with gender-fluid fashion.
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