Sir Alistair Rai

Sir Alistair Rai is a fashion and textile label founded in 2006 by designer Kiran Rai. Kiran launched Satya Rai in 2010, a separate label which became Sir Alistair Rai’s primary marketplace until 2016. Its sourcing and remaining textiles are now an archive that serves as a central pillar for Kiran Rai Design, an interior design studio and vintage shop owned and operated by Kiran Rai. 

Inspired by the opposition to the Iraq War, Kiran Rai launched Sir Alistair Rai with hand-printed cotton tees and tanks with Iraq war-era resistance graphics and “Adopt me, Angelina!” t-shirts that retailed at Kitson stores, as well as modal and silk scarves made with Indian textiles. 

In 2007, the label grew to include scarves such as the Sir Alistair Rai Raj Karma Scarf, Sir Alistair Rai Gayatri Mantra Scarf, Sir Alistair Rai Madonna Lace Mobius Wrap, and Sir Alistair Rai Ikat Wrap, along with styles embroidered with single-word phrases: Peace, Love, Karma, and Truth. The scarves and clothing, including an “Obama for Change” cotton tee, became a celebrity trend, with actresses and musicians photographed wearing Sir Alistair Rai, including Rihanna in Celebrity Style Guide, Kim Kardashian in Star Style, Jessica Alba in People, and Drew Barrymore in Just Jared.  

Kiran later designed a silk collection for Satya Rai that included silk scarves, as well as silk caftans and dresses. In addition, a luxury-retailer Indian silk collection, made in New York City’s Garment District, expanded the Sir Alistair Rai label and was carried by Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and Shop Bop. 

Between 2008-2012, Sir Alistair Rai garnered press coverage in The New York Times (Bright Young Things, PULSE; Homebodies, Even In a Terror Attack, Seeing the Best of India); Teen Vogue, NBC New York, NBC News, and Refinery29 (Found! The Perfect Scarf to Wear Every Single Day In Miami, Sir Alistair Rai Does Jewelry, and We’ve Got the Giveaway). 

Sir Alistair Rai closed in 2016. The textile archive is held by Kiran Rai Design. In 2019, Kiran enrolled in non-degree coursework at New York University, completing the Postcolonial Visual Culture course. This course illuminated for her the ways in which imperial histories influence our everyday lives, as evidenced in urban planning, propaganda, war photography, prison architecture, and refugee camps. Imperialism has shaped Kiran’s life personally and professionally, from making Indian textiles to sourcing design objects, art, and antiques steeped in history. 

This examination of imperialism and its throughline in Kiran’s life has influenced Kiran’s path from fashion design to interior design. In 2023, Kiran Rai Design opened its doors with a presence in Los Angeles, New York, and London with Kiran Rai as the founder and principal interior designer. The Sir Alistair Rai textile and sourcing archive remains a central pillar of her design business, where she encourages clients to style their homes using sustainable and vintage items that carry meaningful stories, family legacies, and personal resonance.

2006 – Sir Alistair Rai was founded by Kiran Rai. 

2007 – Kitson begins selling Sir Alistair Rai scarves and t-shirts.

2009-2010 – Indian silk collection made in New York City’s Garment District, carried by Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Shop Bop.

2010 – Satya Rai launches as a separate label and becomes Sir Alistair Rai’s primary marketplace. 

2016 – Sir Alistair Rai closes.