Portrait

Born in 1979, Pari Desai is a Los Angeles-based womenswear and accessories designer. Raised in a diverse Toronto neighbourhood, frequent cross cultural intersections were an early source of inspiration. After studying traditional tailoring and working in a millinery, she became an in-house designer at one of the last remaining knitting mills in North America.

The rare experience of working directly with craftspeople and technicians deepened her respect for artisanal knowledge and sparked a desire to further these traditions of textile creation.

Relocating to New York City in 2005, Pari was tapped to design for venerable knitwear house TSE followed by a womenswear design role at iconic American brand Calvin Klein. In 2012 Pari founded her eponymous label, which fuses a nonchalant opulence with meticulous attention to hand craftsmanship.