'Finding perfection in the imperfection': Entrepreneur's hand-printed apparel finds market

When Harpreet Gill started working at the Garrison Night Market in Fredericton, she didn't expect the positive response her women's clothing and accessory stand would receive.

Nor did she expect that just two years later, she would run a brick and mortar store downtown selling her own fashion brand. 

Gill is the designer and owner of Happy Hatti, a women's clothing store that combines contemporary silhouettes with India's traditional textile weaving, dyeing and a printing technique called hand block printing. 

"When I started at the Garrison Market, I didn't know where the journey was going to take me," Gill said. "When I saw people were really liking my designs, and they actually wanted to wear it, that gave me confidence in having my own place." 

The clothing is produced in India. Gill works with artisans there who turn her designs into prints in natural fabrics, such as cotton and linen, using hand block printing, a technique that dates back almost 300 years. 

The technique, found in different regions of India, consists of carving designs by hand in large wooden blocks, dipping them in dye, then pressing them into fabrics. 

"The prints are not actually perfect," she said. "If you take one dress, each piece will be so different because the fabric is hand-printed.

"It's finding perfection in the imperfection."

Gill's Fredericton store carries a variety of clothing, including dresses, blouses and pants, alongside accessories like bags, wallets and scarves, with flower and nature-based prints. 

It's a dream come true for Gill, whose love for fashion started at an early age. 

"When I was in grade eight, I used to be really fond of looking at fashion magazines, and that's when I actually decided I wanted to be a fashion designer," she said. 

In 2022, Gill and her husband, Monish, decided to move from their home in Mumbai, India's largest city, to New Brunswick in hopes of finding a quieter life.

But finding an active craft scene was also important to the fashion designer, who was determined to continue her career in Canada. 

Gill discovered the Garrison Night Market and was surprised to see a diverse community of vendors sharing their cultures through their wares.  

This encouraged her to submit pictures of her designs and apply for a space in the market. And the good reception encouraged Gill to grow her business.

After working at both the Boyce Farmers Market and the Garrison Night Market for two years, Gill was able to move to a permanent location on Queen Street.

Gill said she believes that the fusion of modern silhouettes, along with the printing technique, is what attracted people to her designs. 

Gill also offers home decor pieces like coasters, pillow covers, and table sets brought from India, which are designed and produced by Indian artisans. 

Gill credits her success to how welcoming her customers have been to her brand.

"I always say, you don't have to be in bigger cities to start a business," she said. "I'm happy that people across Canada are liking it."

Currently, Gill has her sights set on designing her 2026 spring and summer collection, but her long-term goal is to expand across Canada. 

She has been attending wholesale trade events to showcase her designs in hopes buyers will acquire her pieces wholesale and carry them in boutiques all over the country.  

"I don't want to be restricted to Fredericton, and not everybody likes buying things online," Gill said. "Having a presence in other boutiques in Canada will allow people to be confident in my products and want to buy them." 

Gill believes she made the right choice to name her brand Happy Hatti. Hatti means shop in Punjabi. Gill said she chose the name hoping her customers' experience in the store would be positive.

"I want people to feel happy when they enter my store. [To] feel happy when wearing my clothes because the fabrics are soft and the clothes are colourful."