Sarees inspired by Goa?
Comfy, quirky drapes perfect for brunches, work, and play! 😍
Hello!
Welcome to Over a Coffee — a newsletter where I review and recommend homegrown brands and share conversations with founders or those building our favourite brands. ✨
If you love cotton sarees, bright and cheerful prints, and a story behind what you wear, today's conversation is for you!
Goan-based label Mogasu, run by Tejashree, adds quirky to sarees. Giving millennials and Gen Z a reason to go the whole six yards, Mogasu believes in crafting sarees for the contemporary. That explains its designs featuring birds, cashew fruits, and conch shells — all things reminiscent of Goa.
But, what made Tejashree start a saree label? And what does it take for her to produce these handwoven, hand-dyed pieces? We'll find out in this chat. 👇
Could you tell me about yourself and what made you start Mogasu?
I am a Maharashtrian, brought up in Karnataka. From childhood, I have always been inclined towards arts (while my parents are doctors!). I plunged into fashion by graduating from NIFT Mumbai in 2018. After working in retail for almost three years, I married and relocated to Goa. My new surroundings brought me closer to nature after living in cities all my life. I often wore sarees for events, and Goa’s humidity made draping them difficult. Being a designer, I wanted to stand out from the crowd with the sarees. This is how the concept of Mogasu originated! The idea was simple — how do I marry artisanal crafts, natural, comfortable fabrics, and the beauty of Goa?
My inspiration for prints came from the uniqueness of this place — never in my life had I seen a kokum or a cashew fruit. The saree base is natural, so it's comfortable in the humid and dry heat experienced in most parts of India. I started with block printing — working with the traditional Bagru artisans — as it allowed me to bring unique prints to life.
What's your label's philosophy? What's the specialty of your sarees?
Mogasu is a cute spin on the Konkani phrase — मोग-आसुं — which translates to let there be love. We strive to spread love and happiness through our designs that give you a sense of delight and contentment. Our goal at Mogasu is to weave a fresh, contemporary twist into traditional Indian crafts and create a wide range of clothing. Our natural fabrics make you feel comfortable on all occasions while you stand out of the crowd with quirky, graceful designs. The prints are inspired by Goa, its beautiful people, food, and culture.
I defined this in 2021, and reflecting now, it feels fulfilling. 100s of customers have appreciated the prints, fabric quality, and, of course, the stories we are trying to tell through our designs. For instance, one of our customers said she gifted her mom a Miri (peppercorn-inspired) saree because her mom reminisces about times spent on a plantation in Kerala.
I would also like to mention the block printing process. It's a traditional craft practiced for centuries without the influence of technology. For instance, while I design the prints on my iPad, the artisans match colors using their intuition without any shade card or color codes. Watching the sarees get printed is therapeutic. The process is effort-intensive, and each saree takes one to two hours to print.
You know, there was a period when I (several women around me) assumed sarees were a sign of being docile or too tamed. But labels like yours, Dressfolk, Suta, and Chidiyaa have transformed this. I enjoy, love, and feel quite liberated in a saree. What do you think about these changing times?
You’re right. Sarees have always been seen as traditional, docile, and limited only for events until the recent past. This, in fact, allows a space for labels like Mogasu to operate. Our goal is to help women break away from this notion. Sarees symbolise authenticity and power; they go well with all body types and are quite versatile. I believe there are two crucial points at play here:
Sarees became a secondary choice when more comfortable options started becoming popular. All our life, we have been wearing denim and dresses which are easy to carry.
While fashion has evolved through generations, saree designs remained traditional and similar to what they were 50-100 years ago.
We are trying to solve this through our designs and fabrics. I have seen several customers in their 20s and 30s buying and draping sarees for the first time — only because they liked what they saw on Instagram!
Overall, I am glad to see women today making a statement with sarees, wearing them with pride not just at events but on regular workdays, dates, and weekend hangouts. I have interacted with diverse women championing this cause — Vini from Saree Speaks, and Shristi from Sarirevolution. I feel sarees are getting their rightful attention, and this is only a start.
What sort of experience do you envision for someone wearing a Mogasu?
You won’t feel like you have draped a saree. Most of our customers have often commented on the comfort our sarees provide. I’m sharing a few screenshots of real-life reviews below. 👇
Honestly, this is what we’ve always stood for!
As a small business, can you share 2-3 challenges you face?
Being a designer, I had to learn the ropes of marketing, social media, and accounting (I still hate math!). It took me some time to get used to it, but I got some help from my husband.
It is tough being a one-person team at the start — designing, packaging, shipping, tracking, social media, etc. All of this could get overwhelming at times. It took me a year to afford to hire a helping hand, and now I have two. It takes patience; there are times you feel things aren’t going great, but still keep going.
While being based out of Goa has its own perks, it has challenges, too. The printing happens in Rajasthan, and finishing and shipping are from Goa — it isn't easy to find skilled women who can help with finishing, basic stitching, etc. Logistics can become a nightmare as we aren’t located near a transport hub or a metro.
The support I receive from my family and friends is immense, and I am grateful for them.
If you had to pick three best-selling products, what would they be?
Kajini: This is our saree inspired by Goa’s own cashew fruit.
Conchas Blue: Who doesn’t like the sea and shells on a saree? We are planning to introduce newer colors in this design.
Bulbul: This is our half and half saree inspired by the state bird of Goa and has bright colors. We recently launched this saree, and it has been a hit!
What can we expect in the future?
For starters, more fun, quirky prints inspired by Goa. There is a lot more to this place than what people usually see. I want to bring this all to life. While the primary offering is sarees, I have also launched a limited stitched-wear collection due to popular demand — even from men. I plan to expand this, as some prints will look gorgeous on dresses, tops, and unisex shirts.
I also want to explore other traditional arts, such as Ajrakh, and Kalamkari, and see how my prints would render there. This is a long-term goal.
So that was my conversation with Tejashree. Follow Mogasu on Instagram here, and keep an eye out for their new collection.
I’ll be back with another story soon. 👋