About
Hi! I'm Arshia, good to see you!
Welcome to this world Cappy and I have created!
I’ve always been someone who is endlessly curious. I like trying things I don’t fully understand yet whether it’s a new craft, a new place, a new language, or a completely unfamiliar way of thinking. Estoy aprendiendo español ahora mismo.
I think there’s something exciting about not knowing, about being a beginner, about allowing yourself to explore without needing to get it right immediately. That instinct to jump in and learn as I go has shaped a lot of who I am, both as a person and as a designer. I love the feeling of being an absolute novice at something, the learning curve excited me way, way more than the destination.
Through Arshia’s Lens started in 2020, at a time when everything felt heavy. The world felt overwhelming, and I remember feeling like I needed a small escape from it. Eventually, I felt the need to share it with people. So, I just started creating a space that felt lighter, softer, a little more playful. A space where things could be silly, a little whimsical, and just… joyful. Remember that barbie tagline? Anything is possible? I like to think of TAL as a space where thats true and real to all lengths of silliness and chaos.
Cappy, my beloved bird, has been a huge part of me, and our family we've had the pleasure of knowing him. He was my best friend, my partner in crime. Even in my journey as a designer, at a very early stage, Cappy just showed up and kind of refused to leave. I found myself including him in everything I create. Its only fair, right? Well, it reached a point where one of my college professors literally placed a ban on my inclusion of Cappy in my work, unless I wanted to make him my design identity. No brownie points for guessing what I chose. Cappy carries a certain lightness and mischief that I always want to hold onto, a reminder that things don’t always have to be serious to be meaningful. That joy, softness, and a bit of silliness can exist alongside intention and depth. That balance is important to me. I want to create things that feel thoughtful, but never heavy.
Coming from a humanities background, I naturally approach the world through a lens of empathy and awareness. I pay attention to people and how they feel, how they live, the small details that often go unnoticed. And that inevitably becomes a part of my work. I don’t see design as something separate from people; for me, it only makes sense when it feels human, when it connects, when it resonates beyond just how it looks.
There are three things I find myself returning to again and again: empathy, sustainability, and craft. These pillars act as guidelines for me, when I lose my flow. Empathy helps me put my work into perspective, as in how will this make someone feel? Will what I'm creating add any value to their life? Will it bring someone joy or peace? Next, sustainability. I genuinely believe we feed too many perfectly usable things to the landfills. Why not, before tossing something into the bin, we take a moment to actually consider repurposing things? Materials especially do so much for us, they give us the ability to create, they give us products we can use and cherish. Why not respect them properly and minimise the waste we create? Do you run the risk of becoming a hoarder? Yes. But is it worth it? Absolutely. And last but not the least, craft. I will forever be entranced by this wealth of cultural knowledge that can be found in our county. Every single state has a plethora of interesting and unique techniques and ways of life that we can learn a lot from. Even in the vast diversity, it makes me so happy to notice how everything, everyone is connected on some level. When you boil it down, we all have the same basic human needs, all that changes is the environment; climate, materials available, existing cultural knowledge. Another fun fact about India's craft heritage: as of December 2025, India ranks among the top nations with 16 elements on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Now the sad bit, we're slowly losing a lot of it. We have so many lovely crafts that are endangered or extinct. And because our culture is mainly based around oral and observatory transimission of knowledge, there's minimal, if any, documentation for these techniques. My goal is to use my creativity for good, and work with whatever crafts i can get my hands on.
Before I get too rambly and podcasty, let me tell you a bit about who I am. I'm Arshia (I think we're clear on that) and I studied Lifestyle Accessories design at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. During my college education I was able to explore most materials, and figure out what I like working with. Answer: a bit of most. Wood- nope. Textiles- Big yes. Clay- yes. Metal, leather, resin- Yes if I habe a cool idea.
I was also fortunate enough to find some great mentors along the way, whom I will forever be grateful for.
Creativity, for me, has never been limited to one form. It’s always found different ways to exist in my life: through music, be it Hindustani classical or the guitar, through cooking, pottery, and the simple act of making things by hand. There’s something incredibly grounding about creating, about turning an idea into something tangible, something you can hold. Its just too much fun to pass up honestly.
I've also grown up with my travel bug parents, with a taste for offbeat places, especially in the Himalayas, which shaped my curiosity about people, cultures, and the many crafts that exist across India. Those experiences taught me to observe, to appreciate, and to ask questions. And through their involvement with the Rotary Club, I was also introduced early on to the idea of service above self, something that continues to ground how I think about my work and its purpose.
All of this makes the spirit that still defines what I do. There’s always an element of whimsy, of not taking things too seriously, of allowing room for curiosity, humour, and feeling. It sits alongside the more intentional, thoughtful side of my work, and the two constantly balance each other out.
I’m still learning, still evolving, still figuring things out as I go. But I know that whatever I create will always come from a place of honesty, curiosity, and care.
And with luck, that process of evolution will be constant.
All love and chirps,
Arshia and Cappy