Launching a brand during perhaps the most challenging time of the decade isn't the easiest thing to do, and it certainly wasn't a conscious decision for Catriona Maciver either. The Scottish designer had been working on Studio Tolsta, her collection of homeware and accessories, for eight years and it all came together right as the lockdown was announced. "On one hand, quilts and bags seem pretty irrelevant right now, but on the other, we are proud of the work we have been doing with craftspeople, workshops and NGOs. Now, more than ever, these vulnerable communities are facing enormous challenges, and we want to highlight and support these craft traditions and artisans as much as possible," Maciver says via email, referencing the ethos of her brand which combines traditional craft practises from Scotland and India.

Before starting the design studio, Maciver, 34, worked as a graphic designer in the UK and Delhi, but always dreamt of starting her own company. In 2012, she moved to her ancestral village Tolsta in the Outer Hebrides (OH) of Scotland for some experimentation with ceramics, textiles and bags. In August 2013, she moved to Chennai for a residency with Tara Books, which gave her the opportunity to engage and interact with many different art forms and artists. Having met her husband on that residency, Chennai became home, too. The shift to India led her to think about merging practices from both countries to give the brand a new identity.