The Journey of the Kindred Garden Dress

From hands to heart, thread to store.

Every Holi Boli garment begins not with a machine, but with intention — a story woven into fabric and stitched by women whose work matters.

1. It all begins with cloth

In the colourful bustle of an Indian textile market, we found the perfect fabric for this special piece — a 100% cotton sateen with a silky-soft touch, printed in a bright, watercolour floral that felt like sunshine on cloth. Its joyful tones caught our eye and heart straight away.

Back at our sewing house in rural Odisha, the fabric was washed in-house to soften it and pre-shrink it, protecting the integrity of the dress’s sizing. It was then carefully pressed and prepared for the next stage.

2. Cutting by hand, piece by piece

With the fabric laid out, our team began cutting — slowly and thoughtfully — just 16 dresses in total. Each pattern piece was cut by hand, ensuring precision and avoiding waste. In a world of fast fashion and mass production, there’s something powerful about doing things differently — piece by piece, garment by garment, with care and dignity at the core.

This is the beginning of a global sisterhood — where each dress connects the hands that make it to the women who will one day wear it.

3. Stitched with love by Sasmita and her small team

The Kindred Garden Dress was sewn by Sasmita and a small team of seamstresses at our sewing house in Odisha. As a senior seamstress at Holi Boli, Sasmita led the team with quiet confidence, guiding the construction of each piece with care and precision. Together, they shaped the design into its final form — a relaxed, A-line silhouette full of ease and grace.

At Holi Boli, we believe in women empowering women — and that includes ensuring safe, fair, and meaningful work for the women who create our garments. Their work is not only dignified, but deeply respected.

4. From India to Aotearoa

Once completed, the dresses made their journey from our sewing house in India to our Hamilton HQ in New Zealand. There, they were checked over, labelled, and prepared for their next step — the store floor — where they’d soon find their way to new homes.

This journey between countries, women, and cultures reflects the spirit of global sisterhood — connected not by proximity, but by purpose.

5. Kindred finds her place

Before hitting the racks, the Kindred Garden Dress was photographed in a shoot with Jessica from Silverfox Model Agency, whose grace and grounded beauty brought the dress to life. Behind the lens was the incredible Elizabeth J Photography — a woman who empowers women through her work and who has partnered with Holi Boli for nearly a decade.

Liz has captured our collections for close to ten years, helping tell the story of our clothes with warmth and authenticity. These images — full of colour, movement, and soul — are what you see on our website and social pages, helping each dress come alive before it ever meets its wearer.

After the shoot, Kindred found her place on the racks of our Featherston Street boutique in Wellington, and at our Ulster Street store in Hamilton and pop-up shops.

More than a dress — a ripple of dignity and change

The Kindred Garden Dress is more than a beautiful piece of clothing. It is the result of women empowering women — across continents, cultures, and communities. It’s a small but powerful act of resistance against disposable fashion, and a celebration of meaningful work.

Through Kindred and garments like it, Holi Boli helps provide safe, dignified employment for women in rural Odisha, supporting 21 families to improve their living standards. Many of these women are now the primary earners in their households — sending their children to school, improving their homes, and gaining confidence in their voices and choices.

From one woman’s hands to another woman’s wardrobe, this dress is a thread in the tapestry of a global sisterhood — stitched with purpose, worn with pride.