TEXTILE DESIGN

Born into a family of textile designers that spanned generations, fabrics, textile, patterns and colors run deep in Shalini’s blood.

A true world citizen, Shalini was born in Germany to a German father and an Indian mother, and was raised in the traditions and influences of both Europe and India. She spent her younger years in Baden-Baden in the southern part of Germany, and then attended an international boarding school in the Himalayan mountains.

Born into a family of textile designers that spanned generations, Shalini has a keen sense and love for fabrics, textiles, patterns and colors. Although she has a taste for the crafts and traditions of the past, she is first and foremost a modern woman and a trend-setter,  in tune with forward-looking fashion.

After moving to United States in 1995, Shalini earned a degree in communications from the University of San Francisco. She then worked with Italian Vogue in New York as the assistant to the US Editor. Three years later, she became a fashion stylist with Canadian Elle in Montreal. 

In 1999, Shalini began her two most challenging and rewarding endeavours: her design company, Shalini Design and her family. She now lives in Northern California with her husband and three beautiful daughters.

Shalini Design started with a line of pashminas sourced directly from Kathmandu, Nepal. Shalini's work quickly evolved, and she soon designed and developed her own line of  luxurious scarves, shawls and wraps available in an array of colors- from vibrant and eye-catching to neutral and sophistically understated. Clients of Shalini Design range from Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom to boutiques throughout the Bay Area. 

In 2010, Shalini combined her responsibilities at Shalini Design with the family business, India Silk, which her grandfather Sunderlal started in the 1960's. The marriage of Shalini Design and India Silk allowed Shalini to leverage her creativity and passion for design and extend her reach in home furnishings; textiles and fabrics used for window treatments and furniture upholstery.

Shalini's grandfather Sunderlal founded India Silk in the late 1960's. He understood the magic of the fundamental principles of proportion, scale and balance. In the next 10 years, he built up a business that sold silk fabric all over the world.

Shortly after, his daughter Madhu joined the business. While Madhu managed the office, while raising her two children, her father travelled the world selling fabric. The first 15 years of the business, silk was India's only fabric produced. Then other materials started being developed like linen, cottons, and polyesters. Sunderlal was actively in the business until he was 99 years old. Shalini's mother has been fully involved in India Silk since then, and Shalini is proud to follow into the family footsteps.

Customers of India Sik include Donghia, Larsen, Cowtan & Tout, Fabricut, Pollack, Zimmer and Rhode, as well as European and Middle Eastern jobbers and editors.  Customers and Interior Designers in the area also visit Shalini's studio in Menlo Park, CA.

Flirting between East and West, tradition and avant garde, Shalini Design is a kaleidoscope of patterns, fabrics and influences that make for a very unique line of products.

Her vision for the future is to design and find products that define her style, personality and outlook on life:

Fun, comfort and style!