Meet Krista Nicole Sartin

We had the good fortune of connecting with Krista Nicole Sartin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Krista Nicole, what do you attribute your success to?
This is such a fantastic question! Simply, the hope story of people. I am a storyteller, and stories heal. I didn’t know what Kantha embroidery was until a friend gifted me a scarf with the stitching. I have always loved handmade things and stories. It was months before I was able to find out what this fabric was. When I discovered that the scarf I had was holding such a powerful story, I wanted to share it, I wanted to WEAR it! I wanted to work with Kantha embroidered vintage sari, and that style of kantha and sari is what my brand primarily uses today, although there are many kantha embroidery styles and fabric used for the art form. I think this passion for up-cycling, environmental awareness, and just a deep contentment and gratitude for what we have is an undercurrent bravely moving through our western culture despite what is shared in the media. People want to share powerful hope stories, wear something beautiful and alive, and come back to something real. Art forms like Kantha Embroidery are hope stories “in form” held in the physical fabric. The circles the women sit in on the floor in piles of fabric, laughing, sharing afternoon chai, watching their children play is all held in the fabric. The opportunity to make a living wage from home creating something in an art-form passed down through ages of generations, is a testament to the living garments of high vibrations that we are beginning to see shared in a viral way into our western culture. Each piece I make has lived lifetimes before it reaches the hands of our customers. Each garment passes through more than 50 hands during its creation and people know it, they feel it. They sense the bridge! I am a passionate storyteller, because I believe stories heal. Each garment I sell has so many stories held in its fabric and stitches and those stories are healing the ones who wear them. They are helping people come home to themselves and remember who they are. Hope is what is going viral, hope is the bridge that is being formed by these sacred art forms reaching across cultural boundaries. Telling this story and allowing people all over the world to be a part of wearing a story and sharing hope is the heartbeat behind the success story of my brand.

What should our readers know about your business?
Kantha Bae is a marketplace of handmade goods for the bohemian soul! Our brand is a story-telling of textiles and trade from around the world. We aim to bring a different story to the retail market and give a platform and voice to those who have amazing gifts to share with the world.

I started this brand in 2015 with a heart to see people and a deep love for all things handmade. I have an amazing family around me that includes my husband Landon and our 5 sweet babes, along with our KB team of beautiful souls that partner in our vision to share light to the world.We partner with families in India, Bangladesh, and the US to make all the beautiful textiles, handmade goods, and homewares you find in our marketplace. We know these souls by name and are active participants in their daily lives. Our story is ever expanding, and I can’t wait to partner with makers from more countries and cultures.

My brand is the first worldwide fashion brand producing FREE SIZE garments from vintage silk and cotton fabrics designed to fit EVERY.body through all of life’s stages. Every piece is one of a kind with beautiful prints and colors. Many of our garments are reversible with alternating patterns on each side. The hope story for me resonated into a hope story within the brand for the consumer that created an all encompassing bohemian play land for free spirits to shine outwardly from within in all phases. My hope for the future of kantha is that this art form can be worn on people all over the world! This is an intention for me and my team. My prayer is that the future of kantha art forms is simply that it lives on, its stories continue to be woven into form, and that I can continue to create a brand story that helps to share them around the world.

Growing this brand has been moment by moment, trusting myself. A mantra in my life daily is, “I will walk with open hands.” I remember sitting at my kitchen table in 2015 with 4 kids under 7 and opening my hands. I had started making baby carriers from kantha embroidered fabric and sharing my creations on Etsy. I LOVED it, I loved the fabric, I loved the story and I loved business…I was working from home, connecting with other moms on social outlets and creating a beautiful community. As a stay at home mom, I chose to build my business around what worked in my daily flow with my kids. I sewed often at night or during nap times and only posted things in my shop once a week. I shipped on Saturdays. I made a heart decision to always shift when I felt like my business started “driving the car” instead of me driving my business. These shifts were always huge in my personal growth and in my business. Bringing on intentional suppliers, new team members, following state and federal guidelines were all shifts and learning curves I learned to navigate and surrender to. There were some hard days that always always helped me grow that resulted in my business growing as well.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ok, so I’m a bit of a free spirit nature girl. I love to find quiet places in nature, corner coffee spots and book nooks…and I love thrifting…so a good rummage time in some of our amazing vintage shop and thrift stores is always a good day.

A couple of dinner spots I would include would be Happy Hour Oysters at Marsh House in the Gulch, also amazing Asian fusion bites at Xiao Boa in East, and there’s a yummy Vegan spot called Avo near Centennial Park. I have to mention Hart’s for breakfast as well as the Buttermilk Ranch.

Outings would include trips to all Southern Thrift locations and McKay’s used bookstore. Definitely a trip to Centennial Park to visit the Parthenon and all the ancient trees. I love the Farmers Market on Rosa Parks, we’d have to stop there and get Jeni’s ice cream and say hello to all the plant babies at Gardens of Babylon.

I would definitely find a good blanket and sit under the stars for some good music at Ascend Amphitheater, and if it’s raining…a walk around 5th and Broadway and a show at the Ryman would be a close second.

A little out of town is the city of Franklin, I love walking the square with all the little shops. There’s a great theater with amazing local things going on all the time and an authentic Irish Pub that is just wonderful.

I have to say there would definitely be a spa day at Southall in Franklin. Booking a day pass is just amazing to enjoy their outdoor heated mineral pool, yoga and sound bath and the sauna and steam rooms. They have 2 amazing restaurants on site too. It is hundreds of acres as well that you can enjoy the trails and be in nature too.

I’m one of Nashville’s Unicorns, born and raised and I love watching it evolve and welcome so much culture and diversity. It’s so buzzing and alive here.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Taking a moment to ponder the beautiful souls around me to honor in this space is such a gift and I am so thankful for the chance to celebrate them.
– My beautiful family around me including my husband, Landon and our five wonderful kids offer selfless support. We grow this story together.
– My “KB Fam Team” is a FORCE of true star people. We have a complicated brand model that requires united vision, deep intention, and heartfelt precision to accomplish each day. My team around me is made up of talented individuals seeing each other and linking arms to see our brand story continue reaching around the world and growing in a healthy way. I am grateful and honored to walk with them on this journey.
– I want to also honor the families I work with in India. More than 50 hands touch each one of a kind garment before it reaches its forever home in the hands of our clients. Their sacred art forms are providing a physical form of light to be shared in garment form around the world. I am thankful to be a bridge for their gifts to be shared.

Website: https://kanthabae.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kanthabae/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kanthabae/

Other: Kantha Bae Besties: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kbbesties/
Kantha Bae Market: https://www.instagram.com/kanthabae.market/?hl=en

Image Credits
Krista Sartin
Jordan Lee