ELEVEN SIX WOMEN | BIANCA KUTTICKATTU

Photography by Nyra Lang | @nyralang

 

Bianca Kuttickattu is the designer and founder of NAMAI, an independent Upstate New York–based brand that transforms repurposed Indian textiles into timeless, gender-inclusive garments. After studying fashion in London and Paris and designing for luxury houses such as Celine and Acne Studios, Bianca became disillusioned by the industry’s waste and profit-driven pace. In 2020, she began creating jackets from antique Indian quilts—pieces that soon evolved into NAMAI. Deeply inspired by art, travel, and her Indian heritage, Bianca’s work bridges cultures and generations, blending traditional Bengali kantha craftsmanship with modern design. Through NAMAI, she champions sustainability, circularity, and emotional connection—crafting clothing that carries history, meaning, and the touch of the women who came before. Each one-of-a-kind jacket feels like a piece of wearable art, speaking to you when it’s the right one—just as it did for me, it was love at first sight! We had the honor of capturing Bianca in her new Kingston loft, wearing her favorite pieces from our fall collection, as she shared more about her inspiring NAMAI journey.

 

Bianca wears the Sage Cardi in Merlot paired with her own jean

 

 

Can you share about your background and what led you to create your beautiful brand, NAMAI? 

I studied fashion in London and Paris, and spent my early career working in luxury design at houses like Celine and Acne Studios as a footwear designer. I loved being in the factories, learning from artisans in Italy about leather and shoemaking, and travelling the world, and I was lucky to have worked with some amazing creative directors. 

 As my career progressed however, the companies I worked for were more and more corporate, and I became disillusioned by the constant drive for newness without any meaning except profit. I was ashamed by the levels of waste that I saw and participated in as well, and not only wasted materials, but wasted time and labour.  I felt like what I was doing was really out of step with my values.

During a hiatus from work in 2020, I started to design the jacket that became the Ladhiya Jacket, inspired by my love of Indian kantha textiles and a desire to grow closer to my Indian roots. I started selling the jackets to friends, and then at small markets, and Namai grew organically from there. 

 

Bianca wears the Camila Sweater and Lydia Mini Skirt in Navy

 

Can you share more about the sustainable process behind designing your one-of-a-kind jackets—and how each garment is thoughtfully mapped and composed from antique quilts into such exquisite, colorful masterpieces?

Kantha Quilts are really amazing, and there's endless variety and artistry in the quilts. The quilts are mostly made in West Bengal. Kantha quilts are made from scraps on clothing, old saris mainly, and traditionally women would gather scraps to make the quilt from their local community. The cotton scraps and saris are laid out in layers, usually 3-6 layers of fine muslim cotton, and then the quilt is hand stitched using the kantha (running) stitch which holds all the layers together. The quilts are then used as blankets, rugs, gifts… And then we source them and turn them into jackets. I sift through photos on whatsapp of hundreds of quilts, and over the years we’ve started to do things with the vintage quilts, overdying them with indigo, block printing them, and designing suzani embroidery to embellish them. Using recycled fabrics is really inspiring, it's become a sort of palette that I try to stick to with Namai, we also use upcycled silk saris and are starting to work with upcycled denim, and recycled nylon.

 

 

 

 

What inspires you creatively and keeps your vision feeling fresh and authentic? 

I need to get out and see art exhibitions regularly. I can’t explain it in an intellectual way, but absorbing art and culture gives me the fuel I need to create. It's funny because when I look at the quilts, I can match them up to a lot of my favorite artists. The quilts are made by women in West Bengal, but the patterns that I’m drawn to, and the color combinations that I make, all come from art. Travel is where I get new ideas and perspectives. I love exploring new places, preferably places that have a little grit and a mix of new and old, as well as some crafts and artisanal products that I can learn about.

 

You’ve recently traveled to Japan....how exciting! Can you tell us a little about that experience and how people have responded to your stunning jackets in that market?

I've seen people touch, feel and try on jackets in person thousands of times, and I love doing in person events. It’s been amazing to see how people around the world recognize something familiar in the kantha quilts, a sense of home. Many cultures have their own traditions of reusing and repurposing textiles. In Japan, the Sashiko stitch carries deep cultural meaning, and that shared appreciation for craft and care seems to resonate with Namai.

 We started selling to some really great stores in Japan a few years ago, and when I met the buyers from Beams Planet last year we talked about doing a pop up and it became a reality! The buyers came to visit me this summer in my cabin upstate NY, which was wild, and we made a beautiful selection of jackets for the pop up together. It was my first time in Tokyo, and the pop up at Beams was amazing. We had adult and kids jackets and a great turnout, and I loved exploring Tokyo.

 

Bianca wears the Amara Sweater in Ivory styled with her NAMAI Ladhiya Vest 

 

 

 

 

 

Every small business has its highs and challenges. What have been some of the most meaningful highlights for NAMAI so far, and what lessons have you learned along the way? 

 
There have been a lot of highlights and even more learnings… One major highlight that stands out is one that happened locally in the Hudson valley… My first ever Field + Supply! I was so nervous and couldn’t sleep for weeks leading up to the event, going over every detail of the setup in my head. It was the biggest market I’d ever done, and so many people that I admired were showing there. We were out on the lawn, the weather was amazing, and people came out in droves. Everyone was wearing their new Namai jackets off the booth, and so other people were coming by because they’d seen them. It was an incredible event, and a game changer for my business. Other highlights have been being picked up by a showroom in France and being placed in Merci, one of my all-time favorite stores, and our growth in Asia with stores like Beams. 

The thing I love about having my own business is the constant learning. I've always been on a path of personal growth and I think running a business and leading people is an extension of that. Today is such an incredible time to have a creative small business, there are so many ways that we can reach people directly, without having to get through all the gatekeeping institutions like it was in the past. That can be really challenging too, and I've really had to step outside of my comfort zone again and again with my presence on social media, and doing email marketing, and advertising. A lot of things that I do now on a daily basis felt like impossible hurdles a few years ago, and I love being able to look back on that growth.

 

Bianca wears the Ali Sweater in Cocoa styled with her own pant

 

 

 

Your openness in sharing your breast cancer journey, and your powerful IG campaign “CREATIVE PEOPLE ALSO GET CANCER”, touched so many. Could you share a bit about how that experience shaped you and how your story has resonated with others?

 
I started the October series last year, just a month out of treatment for triple positive stage one breast cancer. I knew I wanted to share my experience, but it was hard because my energy was still low, and I didn’t yet feel like I was on the other side of it. This year, I’ve been able to enjoy the process more, and it’s felt really special. We brought together four women to share their stories alongside mine under the moniker “Creative People Also Get Cancer,” and it’s been such a powerful experience. I’ve loved reading about everyone’s different ways of coping and healing, and I’ve received so many messages from women saying it’s helped them. During treatment, I often felt isolated- even though I had supportive friends, family and a partner helping me, I didn’t know many people who were visibly sharing what I was going through. A year later, I can appreciate the connections I’ve made with others whose lives have been touched by cancer, and the way this openness has allowed me to be more vulnerable and connected to people.

 

Bianca wears the head-to-toe Rumi Cardi + Juno Skirt Set in Black & Espresso

 

 

 

When you’re not working, how do you love to unwind and recharge?

 
Now that I’m a small business owner, truthfully it’s really hard to disconnect! I find being active and doing things like hiking, gardening, cooking and pottery classes help me switch off.

 

Is there a series, movie, or book that you’ve recently fallen in love with?

I recently read Elizabeth Gilbert's book “All The Way To The River” on a flight and found it riveting, so raw and honest and a fascinating story. I’m also really enjoying the Louis Theroux Podcast and recently listened to his interviews with Germaine Greer and Tracey Emin which were inspiring, vulnerable and at times really funny.

  

If you could hop on a plane tomorrow for pure pleasure, not work, where would you go and why?  

I would go to Bali to do yoga, meditate and relax. I've been wanting to go for years. Goa, India is also really high up on my list and I’m hopefully going at the end of this year.

 

 

Is there anything new or exciting on the horizon for NAMAI that you can share with us?

We have a bomber jacket launching sometime this winter, as well as new pieces made from recycled denim that I’m really excited about!

 

What does the ELEVEN SIX brand mean to you? Which pieces from The Fall 25 collection speak to you the most, and why?

I've always admired the bold use of colour and the soft tactile textures of ELEVEN SIX. I really love the bobble texture in the Sage Cardi and the Camila Sweater, as well as the beautiful patterns from the Caroline Burdett collaboration.