Archana Shah graduated from the National Institute of Design (NID) in 1980. Soon after graduating from NID, she travelled to remote corners of the country to study, understand and experience the vast variety of weaving, dyeing, printing, embroidery and ornamentation techniques practised by different communities.

This proved to be a very enriching journey, and the unique skills of the people of various regions, their distinctive colour palettes, and rich design vocabulary became the base for all her future work.

In 1985, Archana started a clothing company, BANDHEJ, a label influenced by the traditional textiles and craft skills, created for Indian women, with a very Indian sensibility. Today, Bandhej is a recognised brand, with a chain of stores in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Pune and Cochin.

Apart from this, she has designed costumes for a few feature films such as Bhavni Bhavai, Mirch Masala, Hun, Hunshi, Hunsilal and costumes for theatre. 1985 – 1997 she also worked on Festival of India inaugurations at Paris, Moscow, Leningrad and Tashkent to design architectural textile installations to create an Indian mood.

More recently she has published a book - SHIFTING SANDS, Kutch: A Land in Transition. The book is a personal journey of discovery and about her association of over 30 years with the land, people and their craft.