World renowned as a rare and flavorful spice, saffron has been adding exotic touches to food for centuries. If Priya Saraswati and Yugala Priti have their way, their namesake clothing company, Saffron Rare Threads, will be flavoring the fashion of career women across the country. The San Francisco based company burst onto the fashion scene with its fall 2004 collection, earning rave reviews for its versatility and intricate detailing. Investment banker Saraswati, 29, met women's designer Priti, 32, at A Motion Studio, a product development and design studio in San Francisco. Drawn together by their common culture and design aesthetics, they pooled their savings and launched the company.

"We married my business background with her industry background," notes Saraswati. She held a business degree from the University of Alberta in Edmonton and had considerable experience assisting start-up companies. Priti was self-taught, working her way up the ranks from intern to designer and drawing on her seamstress mother's experience in constructing garments. The partnership proved to be fruitful, and the duo found that their clothes attracted women across the spectrum. "We appeal to girls just starting their careers and to women in their 40s and 50s who are more established and are in positions of power. We definitely attract the working woman, the career girl."

The company's tagline, "From the conference room to the cocktail hour," elucidates its wide appeal. All of the pieces can easily transition from professional attire to party apparel. "[We have] things that are versatile enough to change to the evening. Hidden zippers: You can be buttoned up during the day, and then you can change your jewelry and be ready to go. Or a reversible top—we like things to have a bit of a twist to them." Most importantly, Saraswati and Priti wanted a look that offered ethnic flair without being overly exotic and stereotypically South Asian. "[We have] mandarin collars and all of our linings are a bright taffeta. It's not necessarily an ethnic look, but there's a touch of India in everything."

The Indian inspiration stems from the duo's brainstorming sessions and travels to India. "Before each season, we do something special and talk about the upcoming season and how we're going to build it. We went to India together last year in February and we researched fabrics and went to a textile show. It was also Holi [the Hindu festival of colors], and we were playing in the streets. You'll notice that our current spring line is filled with bright reds, yellows, oranges and pinks." While the partners work together on the general themes of the clothing, they also maintain their own spheres of influence. Priti handles the artistic aspect of the company, doing the design construction and working with pattern makers to come up with patterns for the pieces, while Saraswati focuses on the business side.

Even though the company is thriving, Saraswati's business training has saved her from the trap of expanding too quickly. "We primarily sell wholesale to stores. We wouldn't have the inventory to fill a boutique at this point. But we have a studio that's always open, and some of our best clients drop by to see what's new. We sometimes have inventory that people can buy." If anything, Saffron Rare Threads might expand its product line rather than its geographic presence. "We're for the girl on the go, so we've thought about potentially doing luggage, but that's in the future." Although they are currently focusing on establishing their wholesale presence, the two occasionally hit the road, offering trunk shows in cities across the country. And while they don't have their own boutique, their spring 2005 line and upcoming fall 2005 line can be found in stores in California and Florida and even online.

Although Saraswati focuses on the financial, she still has her finger on the pulse of fashion forecasting. "For the spring, I really love the Elora top, [which is a] short top with petal sleeves and mandarin collar that we did in a stretch satin. That's going to be a really hot seller; it already has been in terms of wholesale. For fall, our Harah wool coat is beautiful. We're offering it in three different wools. It's very elegant, sleek and pulls your look together as soon as you put in on."

The duo's focus on career wear with a twist has paid off and helped bring their company into the forefront of fashion. Priti and Saraswati took a gamble on the fickle fashion industry and transformed the seed of their idea into a flourishing company. And although the company is named after the rarest of spices, we're betting that the clothes from Saffron Rare Threads won't be hard to find in the wardrobes of working women everywhere.