About us

Our Story

Founded in 1982, Rajka designs is the brainchild of Rajshree Sarabhai and Kartikeya Sarabhai. Rajka’s design philosophy is rooted in Indian crafts and culture. Rajshree Sarabhai grew up in a family which was surrounded by heirloom textiles. Her passion for textiles and photography was further encouraged when she married entrepreneur-environmentalist Kartikeya Sarabhai of the renowned Sarabhai family. The Sarabhai family established one of India’s first textile mills The Calico Mills and India’s finest textile museum – The Calico Museum.

At Rajka, we believe in strong connection with our roots as well as constantly innovating on a global platform. We are as conscious of our processes as our final designs. We use handwoven fabrics, local embroideries and artisanal skills to create products with a timeless appeal. Rajka’s story is a collective narrative of 36 years of committed team work which has culminated in a beautiful legacy.

Rajshree Sarabhai or Raju as she is fondly known is an avid nature lover and a photographer, her relationship with textures, patterns, and color stems from her passion for the Environment. Her book on nature photography, Zen of Seeing won the appreciation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Under Rajshree’s direction, Rajka has emerged as a credible design house. Beginning with Terence Conran as the company’s first client, Rajshree has worked with many international names and labels over the years. She has created an entire new generation of artisans and made sure that the precious crafts and traditions are kept alive.

Samvit Sarabhai, Rajshree and Kartikeya’s son now heads the business. Having worked with Rajka for more than 15 years, he understands the importance of creating products which not only appeals to the global market, but also helps giving artisans regular work. Having a deep understanding of the quality demands of the global market and the ground realities of the artisans and it’s craft, he constantly tries to create a transparent communication between the two worlds to improve the quality of the product and also tell the beautiful story of the process and its artisans. He founded Keri, a brand with the same values as Rajka, but made specifically for the Indian market.

Process

Based in the state of Gujarat, Rajka is blessed with a heritage of wonderful textile technique, mostly done by women working from their homes. Rajka’s team travels to Indian villages with designs and ideas and shares this with artisans to create the embroidery, quilting or tie-dying design to create final samples. This collaboration with the artisans is very useful as it gives the design team a chance to see and understand the challenges faced by artisans living and working in these villages today. The team also offers viable work solution to assist artisans to work from home.

Rajka team meets with designers around the world and collaborates on many garment and home furnishing collections. Our team endeavors to explain the textile process to designers so that they appreciate the effort, skills and nuance of the work. With this transparent approach Rajka has steadily built up a loyal clientele of well known international brands such as The Conran Shop, Designers Guild, Jurgen Lehl, Dosa ( Christina Kim ) and Muji, as well as other high end clients based in Europe, U.K, USA, Japan and Australia.

Rajka team meets with designers around the world and collaborates on many garment and home furnishing collections. Our team endeavors to explain the textile process to designers so that they appreciate the effort, skills and nuance of the work .With this transparent approach Rajka has steadily build up a loyal clientele of some international brands such as The Conran Shop,Designers Guild , Jurgen Lehe and Muji , as well as other high end clients based in Europe ,U.K ,USA ,Japan and Australia.

In The Press

Selvedge - July/August 2017
Apparel - May 2017