Agency

Border&Fall is a multi-disciplinary agency specialised in craft, culture and design. Our work has shaped and built emergent and leading voices through expertise in brand strategy and communication. With offices in New York and India, we work towards maintaining relevance in a rapidly changing landscape; valuing provenance, longevity and innovation.  

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The common thread throughout our work is centred on advocacy and a future-focused approach, which requires an understanding of context and history. It allows us to work with partners and clients across the globe who are looking for equitable supply chain engagements, and to create and define new ways of seeing. Research, data and democratising access to the culture of design remains embedded in all our work: as the first online resource for Indian fashion, to our critically acclaimed platform: The Sari Series.

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In India, ~2010 to 2020 was a short yet powerful decade: our agency grew hand-in-hand with the emergence of India’s independent creative class. Graphic design, styling, independent publishing and the freelance economy flourished. It saw the first generation of designers returning from studies abroad, building for India and beyond. E-commerce and digital literacy scaled. Cultural confidence became resolute. The roots of our agency began as an online publication, noting and reporting these shifts and identifying voices that today lead India’s design and craft sectors. Between robust domestic growth and its export economy, India is increasingly borderless and inescapable.

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Currently, the rise of ‘craft’ in the global art and design sector and the possibilities technology require deeply considered approaches to brand strategy and communication—it remains deeply exciting. Border&Fall works across all stages of growth and structures—from brands, individuals, and non-profits to communities- remaining skilled and sensitive to the varying requirements of those boutique and niche, alongside corporate and institutional.

Border&Fall was founded by Malika Verma, a brand strategist and vocal craft advocate whose work is centred on future narratives within craft and design. Learn more about her advisory and public engagements here
Branding
Border&Fall is involved in branding atvarious levels. From conceptualisation to creating a distinct tone of voice, Border&Fall engages with developing a unique identity for the brand.
Branding
Border&Fall is involved in branding atvarious levels. From conceptualisation to creating a distinct tone of voice, Border&Fall engages with developing a unique identity for the brand.
Communication
We help identify the right strategic positioning that will help communicate the brand’s core philosophy and develop a robust strategy for the brand’s future growth at Border&Fall.
Design & Creative Direction
Border&Fall engages with the client across diverse verticals including planning events, campaigns and collections. This also involves writing collection notes and developing the right tone for lookbooks.

Malika Verma is a brand strategist and vocal craft advocate whose work is centered on shaping future narratives within craft and design.

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With an interest in democratic access, she translates the nuances of handmade industries into thoughtful and impactful brands across design, craft, and culture. She is the founder of Border&Fall, a pioneering agency dedicated to shifting perceptions of the handmade.

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Malika has been a key stakeholder in Raw Mango since 2016, guiding its growth through communication, product development, retail expansion, and strategic advisory. She continues to lead its international and special projects.

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Her work in craft advocacy includes building digitally scalable platforms of change such as The Sari Series: An Anthology of Drape, a critically acclaimed digital documentation of India’s regional sari drapes, shortlisted for the Beazley Designs of the Year (2020).

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She also developed Śilpa: Catalogues on Craft, a series of digital craft catalogues for creative practitioners and businesses.

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Malika serves on the advisory boards of the Kalhath Institute (Lucknow) and League of Artisans, and was on the Advisory Council for MoMA’s 2019 exhibition "Items: Is Fashion Modern?". She is a jury member for the ADxJSW Prize for Contemporary Craftsmanship (2019–2023) and a Contributing Editor for Architectural Digest India. Her writing has appeared in Designing Motherhood (MIT Press, 2021), Vogue, Mint, Harper's Bazaar India, and ELLE. She has also spoken on the power of “Handmade in India” as a guest lecturer at academic institutions. She is based between New York City and India.

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ADVISORY
League of Artisans, Advisory Board
2023 — present
Kalhath Institute, Lucknow Advisory Board
2016 — PRESENT
Advisory JSW X Architectural Digest Prize for Craftsmanship
2018 — 2024
MoMA, New York Advisory Council, 'Items: Is Fashion Modern?'
2017
SELECT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Rhode Island School of Design, Guest Lecturer
2025, Rhode island, usa
NYU Steinhardt School, Guest Lecturer
2025-2024, new york, usa
British Council
2022, 2016, INDIA
Parsons School of Design, Guest Lecturer
2018, new york, usa
Fashion Design Council of India
2018, New Delhi, india
High Commission of Canada
2018, new delhi, india
Jaipur Literature Festival
2018, Jaipur, india
Fashion Institute of Technology
2017, new york, usa
Mountain Echoes Literary Festival
2017, thimpu, bhutan
CITATIONS AND WRITINGS
The Creative Independent
2025
The Offbeat Sari
2023, Design museum, LONDON
Designing Motherhood - Essay
2021, MIT PRESS
Grand Dames of Craft - Article
2019- ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST, INDIA
‘Casual Life Woman Trend Book FW 20-21’
2019- Peclers, paris
‘Items: Is Fashion Modern?’
2017- the museum of modern art, new york
'Made in Bengaluru'
2017- Fiona Caulfield & Maegan Dobson Sippy
‘Sar: The Essence of Indian Design’
2016- rashmi varma & swapnaa tamhane
'The Fabric of India'
2015- the victoria and albert museum, london