Integration of fashion and lost art forms through installations, an art and couture edit and limited-edition stoles.

“As we gradually start going back to our normal lives, albeit with a certain sense of self care and responsibility, it is also a time to be proud and responsible towards our art and craft heritage and play a role in ensuring its survival. With this collaboration, we are supporting an artist cluster and hope that our discerning customers, loyal followers and fans of the brand take back a message of art awareness and responsibility,” says Karishma Swali, co-founder of JADE.

Couture brand JADE by Monica & Karishma’s flagship store on Peddar Road always tells a story with its creative visual installations. The designers Monica Shah and Karishma Swali focus on creating an immersive art experience with their displays that showcases their firm support for Indian arts and crafts and also reflects the inspiration points for their couture.

JADE collaborated with us, Craft and Community Development Foundation (CCDF) to transform the brand’s storefront into a makeshift gallery with a craft and couture installation that put the spotlight on tribal art. For the display they have decided to showcase artworks from Gondwana Art Project alongside garments from the Ek Taar collection.

The pandemic is an ongoing battle now and the struggles of indigenous artists during these difficult times is well known, as art galleries shut down due to lack of financial assistance, Jade’s larger than life windows serve as an alternative medium to showcase the works of indigenous artists who need support, now more than ever.

Mr Sundeep Bhandari, our CCDF founder believes `The World must get to glimpse the beauty of our folk-art traditions as well.” And so we at Craft and Community Development Foundation (CCDF), encourage traditional artists to look at ways in which their art can be made more viable for the modern art enthusiasts, they are given an understanding of modern techniques and themes and through this little assistance that we provide, the artwork that emerges is worth marveling. The Gondwana Art Project is a flagship project for our not for profit organization and under this project Gond, Bhil and Warli tribal artists are provided design and financial assistance.

The designers have also shot a series of images, which juxtapose the art from the Gondwana project against couture. ‘Threads of love’ collection by JADE is an ode to the magic that can be created by bringing art in the space of couture. For designers Monica and Karishma, art is inseparable from couture, and are pretty much two sides of the same coin. This philosophy reflects in their designs too, particularly in this collection.

This one of a kind unique edit supports indigenous artists under the Crafts and community development foundation (CCDF), to keep the age-old crafts alive. The connection has always existed but both art and design worlds have been sleeping on the endless possibilities of a collaboration of this kind. For the edit, select paintings and couture pieces come together and explore the magic of craftsmanship of the traditional artisans through this, while also facilitating treasured heirlooms for modern brides. This love song for art is for the modern bride to also see her ensemble as nothing less than an art piece itself.

Nothing that words can say will do justice to the beauty created by the coming together of heritage art with couture, let the pictures from the collection do the talking.

Anita Shyam’s ’Vishnu on Garuda’ is a homage to Lord Vishnu, who is worshiped by the Gond community as the preserver of the universe. The image of Vishnu is representative of the culmination of creative energies and the superimposition of it on the beautiful green Ek taal lehenga is for the modern Indian brides to know that her wedding ensemble is not just a garment but an inimitable experience.

Gond artist Ram Bai Tekam’s ‘Vinayaka’ is projected on the multicolored Ek Taar lehenga, creating an effect that’s just kaleidoscopic. Vinayaka is the God of intellect, wisdom and a great patron of arts and this edit endeavored to evoke in brides the curiosity of our own heritage.

Suresh Kumar’s Gond painting ‘Story of Narmada’ depicts river Narmada in the form of a divine Goddess which was worshiped by the Gond tribe. Suresh Kumar’s interpretation embodies narmada as the nurturer of life of creatures around her. The Narmada is considered the mother and giver of peace and solace. This edit becomes a reminder to the modern Indian bride to embrace their strengths as well as their femininity and use their wedding as an opportunity to express themselves and their roots through their own bridal-wear.

Jyoti Uikey’s Gond painting, ‘Jungle Devi’ is another painting that represents powerful, strong yet feminine energies and so this becomes an obvious art piece to collaborate with a couture collection that hopes to make the modern Indian bride feel these emotions of power and beauty on her special day.

The installation and this special edit is a marvel to behold but in order to get a true insight on the thought process and the creative journey that brought the often independently existing artforms together, it will be imperative to hear from the designers themselves.

Here are snippets of the interview the designers gave to some leading fashion and art magazines. (Source: Vogue, Femina and Voice of fashion)

Do you think traditional crafts have impacted your journey as a designer?

Our love for crafts and craftsmanship flows through everything we do, we want to ensure that our label stands for an enduring, deep-rooted legacy.

What made you choose Gondwana Art Project by Craft and Community Development Foundation, specifically?

Designer Monica Saha says, “I have been practicing Warli and Madhubani for a while now, so the interest in these art forms has always been there. CCDF is predominantly from the central part of India and we really admire the work they did to support tribal arts.”

How were tribal motifs translated in the scarves?

We have chosen to bring the river Narmada, which is a consistent motif in these art works, to life through our scarves. Narmada symbolizes the source of life—all beings spring from her and are sustained by her. We felt this was deeply relevant as all of us need to be more mindful and sensitive towards nature that sustains us.

And finally, the installation, what was your creative vision for that?

The union of two crafts always leads to something beautiful. We wanted to merge our craft, ek taar, with this beautiful indigenous art form. Both, our arments and the paintings were lush with vibrant colors and intricate details which when combined together created a unique kind of kaleidoscopic magic. Every day, passersby of all age groups are drawn to the installations, they want to come in to take a closer look—and their wonder, awe and newfound appreciation for this art is just so inspiring!

Source: Instagram/ JADEbyMK