Raksha Bella Growing, Adds Custom Offering

Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 2/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

Berkeley, Calif. —

Raksha Bella Organic Textiles, now in its second year of business, is expanding its reach this year.

The fashion bedding company has hired a New York sales rep to extend distribution to the East Coast, following its first outing at the New York International Gift Fair in the At Home section last month.

Raksha Bella is designed by owner and ceo Carrie Peters and produced at a cut and sew facility in Pune, India that employs 300 independent women contractors participating in the Grameen microfinance system. The company specializes in block prints using azo-free dyes and 100% GOTS certified organic cotton.

"We're working on new bedding prints that are a little more edgy than the India prints — although we will keep the India prints in the line," said Peters.

Also new for this year, Raksha Bella will begin doing custom work. "Now we can mix and match any color on any products," she told HTT.

The company kicked off the year launching an organic cotton loungewear line in tandem with designer and boutique owner Erica Tanov.

Raksha Bella will participate in next month's DnA show in Los Angeles, via its California rep, Trunkshow.