Deepa Sekar, co-founder and curator of By Hand From the Heart, says of the 120 applications received this year, only 30 were selected. “It’s a genre-specific market and our focus has always been on featuring people who don’t necessarily follow a trend. This year, our collection has a mix of clothing, textiles, art, jewellery, décor and artisanal food,” says Sekar, who is also featuring a number of past favourites like Sridhar Lakshmanan’s brand of wild forest honey, Thaen, handloom saris from Erode-based Nool By Hand, and organic clothing from Mumbai-based Love The World Today. She explains how she is now being approached by an increasing number of artists on the revival route. “Many work directly with artisans, and a few handle their studios single-handedly. Take Razia Kunj’s Theyyam collection for instance — we have seen art on terracotta and the use of Indian motifs, but not in her unique style,” says Sekar, who also looks to Instagram and Facebook to find such artists.
A look at a few independent brands debuting this year.
Razia Kunj Art & Facts, Mumbai
Razia Kunj’s travels and her love of Indian art finds expression in her vibrant handcrafted wood jewellery, or, as she likes to call it, “wearable art”. “My jewellery is a combination of wood and metal. Each piece is painstakingly hand-painted and then assembled — not many mediums allow for such intricate artwork on wood,” says the self-taught artist, who takes inspiration from temple walls, Indian folklore, dance forms and tribal art. Kunj uses a combination of deodar , Indian birch, mango wood and compressed wood, depending on the design and finish she’s trying to achieve.
Comprising neck pieces, earrings, rings and bangles, the four collections she is bringing down includes Theyyam, inspired by a performance she’d witnessed on a visit to Kerala; Shekhavati, designs of frescos she saw at havelis in Rajasthan; Jharokhas, depicting intricately-designed windows and doors of the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur; and Deviyan, a portrayal of Indian women. Explaining the process, she adds, “The Theyyam collection involved various stages; I couldn’t complete the pieces at one go. Some had to be painted, assembled, and then painted on again. It took about two-three days to finish a design.” From ₹1,800 to ₹7,000. Details: raziakunj.com
56th Day, Goa
Cyanotype printing, an old monochrome photographic process that gives a cyan-blue print, is Goan artist Kalaivani M’s medium of expression. Unlike most cyanotype artists who print with film negatives on paper, she prints on fabric with all things natural: leaves, dragonflies, birds’ nests, honeycombs, fish bones, seaweed and flowers. “I love the flexibility in this art form and how I can add layers to each print,” says the architect-turned-fabric designer.
Explaining the process, she says, “I make a photosensitive chemical in the dark room and apply it on the material (I’ve used both paper and fabric). Then, with the negative (leaves, flowers, etc) placed on it, I expose it to the sun and fix it with water.” As part of Kalaivani’s maiden exhibition, she will be bringing down her collections Stories of Transition (scarves), Of Fins And Wings (backpacks), and Met When Created (cotton tote bags), besides saris, postcards and bookmarks. From ₹450 - ₹6,000. Details: facebook.com/56thday
Chicory Chai, Gurgaon
Bringing a mix of old and new nature-inspired collections — Yellow Umbrella, Orlean Blues, Bridge on the Pond — and one-off pieces in coloured stones, the highlight at Himani Grover’s stall will be her much sought after coin jewellery collection. “We source our coins from two vendors in New Delhi, and work with the traditional aanas and paisas ,” says the designer, who started Chicory Chai four years ago with a 32-piece coin collection inherited from her grandmother. She says her customising technique sets her brand apart. “Many people share their personal collections with me: inherited rare coins or those found during travels, and even lucky charms,” says Grover, who recently worked on an elaborate silver neckpiece for an avid numismatist who brought her coins from Greece, and one from Babur’s times.
Himani, who is presently working with coins from the Viking era for a Scandinivian client, says each piece has a story to tell. Besides the fast-moving neckwear and earrings, she will also have a collection of rings, bracelets, cuffs, cufflinks and buttons. From ₹2,500 to ₹9,000. Details: facebook.com/ChicoryChai
Soklet, Pollachi
India’s first tree-to-bar specialist chocolate manufacturers, Karthikeyan Palanisamy and Harish Manoj Kumar, will showcase their latest range of bars (with different percentages of dark and milk), drinking chocolate and roasted cacao nibs.
From growing cacao trees on their multi-crop farms (along with coconut, nutmeg, pepper and banana) in the foothills of the Anamalai Hills, to tempering the chocolate, the duo is involved in every step of the process. “We ferment and dry the cacao pods using our proprietary protocols to develop our unique flavour,” explains Kumar. They will also be bringing down Regal Chocolates, their gourmet baking bar line. From ₹200 to ₹345. Details: facebook.com/regalchocolates
By Hand From The Heart will be held
on July 7 and 8 at Crowne Plaza, TTK Road. For details, call 9840326354
