TANTIPARA is a small village in West Bengal, a few hours by train from Kolkata. Chances are you won’t ever be headed in its direction. But if you happen to come across skillfully woven and printed silk products under the name of Oikko in your city, remember they come from there.
Oikko has been popping up at crafts bazaars for the past couple of years, catching the attention of fashion scouts in search of designs and fabrics they can use. Most recently, Anita Dongre’s office at Global Desi, an iconic womenswear brand that melds traditional with modern, expressed interest in Oikko designs and a line of garments is perhaps on its way.