Malmal Studio

About Malmal Studio

Malmal Studio is a Jaipur-based women’s clothing label built around one humble fabric: malmal, the fine, breathable cotton muslin once woven for Indian royalty. Founded in 2018 by two college friends, Jyoti and Akanksha, Malmal Studio turned a shared love of fabric and print into a slow-fashion brand that favours handloom and textile traditions over mass production. Every kurta, co-ord set, and dress that leaves their Jaipur studio is hand block-printed and stitched in small batches, keeping the craft — and the people who practise it — at the centre of the business.

From College Friendship to Fabric Label

Jyoti and Akanksha met as college students and bonded over a shared fascination with Indian prints and fabrics long before Malmal Studio existed as a business. What began as an informal hobby of sourcing and styling block-printed cotton for themselves and friends slowly turned into a proper venture once they recognised how few labels were building collections specifically around malmal rather than treating it as one fabric option among many. Launching in 2018, the two friends chose to keep production close to home in Jaipur, working directly with local block printers and tailors instead of outsourcing to large garment factories — a decision that has shaped the brand’s small-batch character ever since.

A Fabric Rooted in Heritage

The name “Malmal” is not a marketing flourish; it is the actual fabric the studio builds its entire collection around. Malmal, also known as mulmul, is a plain-weave cotton muslin spun from exceptionally fine yarn, prized for centuries for being lightweight, breathable, and gentler on the skin than most commercial cotton blends. It softens with every wash instead of wearing thin, which means garments are designed to be used for years rather than discarded after a season. By choosing this fabric as its foundation, Malmal Studio is reviving a textile tradition that predates fast fashion by hundreds of years, rather than chasing synthetic blends that dominate low-cost clothing racks.

Handcrafted, Not Mass-Produced

Malmal Studio’s entire production process leans on traditional Indian textile techniques — hand block printing and hand weaving — executed by artisans rather than automated print lines. Each piece carries small variations that come from being worked by hand, a deliberate departure from the uniform, machine-finished look of mass-market apparel. This approach naturally limits production volumes, which keeps the brand’s environmental footprint modest: smaller batches mean less fabric waste, less overproduction, and less unsold inventory ending up in landfill — one of the fashion industry’s biggest sustainability problems.

Products

The current Malmal Studio collection spans both Indian and Western silhouettes, all built on cotton and muslin bases:

• Kurtas and kurta sets in hand block-printed cotton and malmal
• Co-ord sets pairing breathable cotton tops with matching bottoms
• Relaxed-fit dresses and shirts designed for everyday wear
• Running fabric sold by the yard for customers who want to stitch their own garments

Care instructions on the brand’s own site reinforce the longevity-first philosophy: customers are guided to hand wash, avoid long soaking, and air-dry away from direct sunlight — steps that extend a garment’s life and reduce the energy footprint that comes with machine washing and drying.

Sustainability Angle

Malmal Studio’s case for inclusion in the Prakati Green Directory rests on a few clear, verifiable practices rather than broad claims: a natural-fibre fabric base (cotton muslin) in place of synthetics, small-batch handcrafted production instead of industrial mass manufacturing, hand block printing that supports traditional artisan livelihoods, and explicit customer guidance on garment care that is designed to extend the useful life of each piece. Together these choices position the brand within India’s growing sustainable fashion movement — favouring durability and craft over speed and volume.

Where to Find Malmal Studio

Malmal Studio operates out of Jaipur, Rajasthan — a state with a centuries-deep textile and block-printing heritage that the founders draw on directly. The brand sells primarily through its own website and Instagram, where new block-print drops and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the studio’s hand-printing process are shared regularly. For anyone exploring the Prakati Green Directory in search of slow-fashion alternatives rooted in genuine Indian craft, Malmal Studio is a small but distinctive addition.