Just bag it

The hand-painted bags by artists mother-daughter duo Shan Re and Romicon Revola for a luxury brand, will make an appearance at New York Fashion Week

There are many ways in which art can reach one if desired. It is art bonded to galleries or a canvas, but, it can become a part of our daily life. “In fact, its addition to things elevates them to another level,” says Romicon Revola or Romi Revola, who has stepped into the world of functional art with painting on bags. The mother-daughter duo — Romi and Shan Re — have collaborated with Aranyani to create a collection of 40 leather bags like clutches, cocktail bags and business bags, featuring original art works.

Aranyani, the luxury brand, owned by Harish Mirpuri create exclusive hand-painted bags and is keen on showing Indian art on a global stage. Currently, all 40 bags are in New York for a showing in New York Fashion Week. “My dream of reaching a global audience has been fulfilled through this collaboration,” says Romi. The young artist emphatically states that carrying this bag is like carrying an original art work. “Each bag has a unique art work because the art is not repeated, which makes every bag unique.” The bags are priced between $500 and $1000.

With leather came its own share of challenges, which the artists accepted. “We were given leather panels to work on and didn’t know how they would look on the bag. Also, we didn’t have a blank canvas to begin with but just the base colour of the panel,” says the artist.

They were given unique leather paints to work on but still it was not an easy task. “The colours wouldn’t get absorbed and I could not blend the colours with my finger like I do on canvas. The colours were thin,” adds Shan.

New York Fashion Week

Though a defined theme of “The New Silk Route as laid by the Cherry Blossom” was given to the artists, they were free to approach it whichever way they wished to. While the viewers can find traces of her outdoor sculptures in her paintings on bags, for Shan it was a happy blend as nature is a recurring theme in her art. “I have always wondered why people are drawn to these brands. Of course, it has impeccable craftsmanship and quality, but they all look the same,” observes Romi.

A first for Romi, but definitely not the last for her. “I feel nice being part of something so ambitious and bold. Aranyani only does hand-painted bags which is a bold thing to do. We are waiting for a response for our sample products,” says Romi.

(Aranyani Lifestyles, 52/2, Sujay's Pride, Church Street and VR Bengaluru)