About Cotton Conscious
Born in London. Inspired by Rishikesh. Crafted by Hand.
Why Cotton Conscious Exists
Cotton Conscious really began with our wish to spend more of our lives in Rishikesh, a holy town on the banks of the Ganges in the foothills of the Himalayas. We wanted to live there for around six months of each year, giving us more time for the spiritual teachings and the very particular atmosphere of this place.
Making clothes became a natural way for us to sustain that life. For Lisa, who is Anglo-Indian, it also brought her back to something she had loved since her twenties — working with small local tailors in India to make little batches of clothing, beginning with tailors in Calcutta many years ago.
Cotton Conscious grew from there, not really as a plan to create a fashion brand, but as a way of continuing a life in India that we didn’t want to leave behind.
Lisa & Blue
Why Rishikesh Matters
Rishikesh is more than the place where our clothes are made. When we first came here thirteen years ago, we were welcomed by local people whose families have called Rishikesh home for generations. Over the years, alongside them, a growing international sangha has become part of our lives — friends from around the world who return, leave and return again each year. We think of them simply as our Rishikesh family.
Set on the banks of the Ganges in the foothills of the Himalayas, Rishikesh has a rhythm of its own. Spiritual teachings, yoga and meditation sit alongside ordinary daily life, small workshops, markets and the people we have come to know over the years. Cotton Conscious allows us to spend part of each year here, making clothing slowly and in small quantities while remaining connected to a place, and a community, that has become an important part of our lives.
SLOW FASHION
Doing less, but doing it better, is at the heart of Cotton Conscious. We make in small quantities, working with natural fibres, handwoven cloth and traditional block printing rather than following seasonal collections.
We don’t believe clothes need to be constantly replaced. We would rather make fewer pieces that feel good to wear, become softer with time and stay in your wardrobe for years.
For us, slow fashion isn’t really a trend or a label. It’s simply the way we prefer to make things.