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Jasleen Bindra pg 32 | Photographed by Neetika Devgan Suresh Venkat 04 MIXIN, Srinagar 12 'Ek Type' foundry 18 Anant Nanvare 26 Manish Gulati 44 Anais Basu 50 Manreet Deol 58

Editor in Chief | sudhir@indidesign.in

December 2013 | # 42

Speakers and Volunteers at Mixin, Srinagar

POOL 42

Jasleen Bindra pg 32 |

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Photographed by Neetika Devgan

Suresh Venkat 04 MIXIN, Srinagar 12 'Ek Type' foundry 18 Anant Nanvare 26 Manish Gulati 44 Anais Basu 50 Manreet Deol 58

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Designindia was founded in 2002. It was started as a platform for interaction for the design community in India and abroad. Over the years it has grown into a forum spread over many social and professional networking domains, linking design professionals into an active, interactive and thought leading community.

http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/designindia International Design Media Network Participant

What is 'Original' work?

It hardly matters how the dictionary defines the word ‘Original’ What is important is to know what your peers and clients think is ‘original’, and of course, how law defines it. Originality is the definition of creative business, we take pride in original work and pride influences success in Design. Here are my ‘non-jargonistic’ musings on the subject. I would recommend you perceive these thoughts as ‘information only’ and I would definitely advise the use of a qualified IPR lawyer for specific situations: Ideas can not be owned. What can be owned is the specific way in which an idea is expressed. For eg., let’s say you come up with a concept for a new product that relates to how music is stored. As original as your concept may seem, you can’t claim ownership to it. All you can own are your words, design, illustrations, drawings etc.

Derivative, is it? Given the 2000 years of recorded history of mankind, everything is probably derivative of a previous thing. But for legal purposes, a derivative is that which closely resembles something else, and when it is derivative, it has violated the copyright of the originator. Court cases are often resolved using the ‘reasonable person’ method by taking the opinion of an impartial person on the matter.

What is protected? Copyright protection occurs when a certain piece of work is created. A copyright sign, while not necessary, can reduce the possibility of a violator using the ‘innocent infringement’ defense in case of a dispute. It does not have to be registered, but registration establishes a public record that is required before suing for copyright infringement. (Check with your IPR lawyer.)

What is ‘fair use’? Others can reproduce copyrighted material primarily for educational or informative purposes. But this is legally a grey area, since such use seldom passes a ‘fair-use’ test.

Let me explain how designers and clients define these, in the next POOL. Sudhir

Endorsed by

Supported by

HELLO! INDI - Hong Kong

BRAND BETTER

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opinion

DANISH DESIGN DELIGHTS Incorporating learnings from his May 2013 ‘by invitation’ design tour of Denmark, designer and freelance journalist Suresh Venkat puts forth his ‘ten commandments’ for enjoying Denmark as design destination

Hamlet, Georg Jensen and Lego - this was pretty much what I knew of Denmark till I chanced upon a television show called Borgen. Borgen (pronounced ‘Born’) is the Danish word for ‘castle’, which in turn is what the Danes call the Christiansbourg Palace - the building that houses their Parliament, Supreme Court and Ministry of State. The TV series Borgen is a gripping political drama that chronicles the unlikely rise of its central character - Birgitte Nyborg (pronounced ‘Big-eeta NeeBorg’) - who becomes Denmark’s first woman Prime Minister in unusual circumstances. It’s a fantastically written and produced TV show and I strongly recommend you watch all three seasons.

Now the Danish government really likes us Indians, or perhaps they just really like me. Which is probably why they invited me on a design tour of Denmark to help me understand how Danish society, government and industry are using design thinking to compete in the new world order. I spent a week in Denmark - some of it in the capital city Copenhagen and some travelling around the country. Needless to say, I came away 4 POOL #42

Ida Davidsen’s Sandwich Shop

impressed. Here’s my list of the top-ten reasons why you should visit Denmark and what you should do once you’re there:

1. New Nordic Food Now, ‘form’ may follow ‘function’, but ‘food’ precedes both. One of the first things you want to do in Denmark is get some of their delicious food inside of you. And you’re in luck, because Danish food is fabulous. It’s a type of cuisine called the ‘New Nordic’ and it’s now all the rage thanks to Michelin star restaurants like NoMa. NoMa is a restaurant in central Copenhagen that’s notoriously hard to get into, so you might want to make reservations. (say six months in advance?).

Another fabulous restaurant on a road called Vesterbrogade is Madklubben (pronounced ‘Maal Klooben’). The food is a combination of traditional Scandinavian fish and meat combined with all sorts of exciting herbs, fruits, veggies and apparently a dash of molecular gastronomy. Whatever you eat you simply have to finish off with a dessert called Rod Grod Med Flode (Pronounced ‘Roll Groll Mel Floll’). It’s a delicious strawberry pudding with cream and it’s apparently Denmark’s unofficial national dessert. And one last food stop is Ida Davidsen’s sandwich shop on Kongensgade. Ida Davidsen is to sandwiches what Walter Gropius is to modernism. Ida is

Entrance to Freetown Christiania. One cannot take photos beyond this point, till you cross Pusher Street

famous for her open faced sandwiches which are gobsmacking delicious. And there’s an array of over thirty choices to choose from so you may be there a while!

2. Freetown Christiania Question: How can you be in Denmark and yet not really in Denmark?

Answer: When you’re in ‘Freetown Christiania’.

Also known simply as ‘Christiania’, this neighbourhood was created by a group of squatters in the 1970s who simply occupied a piece of military land and turned into a hippie style commune. Much controversy later the Danish government regulated it via a special law in 1989 and it somehow continues to exist even today. Christiania is a sort of hybrid between Woodstock, Pondicherry and Goa. People here grow their own vegetables, bake their own bread, live in large community style houses with common kitchens and famously make their particular www.poolmagazine.in 5

opinion

Design Workshop for SMEs underway at The Kolding School of Design, Kolding

CIID - Copenhagen Institute of Interactive Design

brand of bicycles. Most controversially though, cannabis is semi-legal in Christiania.

In fact the main street in the neighbourhood is called, well - Pusher Street. Be warned though, that you cannot (absolutely cannot!) take photos of anybody on Pusher street.

And don’t try to slyly take photos with your mobile phone either. You simply have to go and spend at least half a day lounging around, eating excellent breads and drinking organic juices whilst you contemplate the futility of your life, conference calls and the whole military-industrial complex thing.

while all the time worrying about being run down - Denmark will make your inner cyclist pedal with joy. The whole city of Copenhagen has been designed keeping the cyclist and the pedestrian at the centre of things. You simply have to see it or cycle in it to understand what that means. Every single road - big or small - has a dedicated cycling lane, demarcated by a concrete divider. Every street intersection has a special set of traffic lights only for the cyclists. And that’s not all you have public spaces to park and lock your cycle and you have an easy to operate cycle rental system. Denmark is a relatively crime free state, but curiously enough, cycle thefts do happen and annoy Danes to no end. So if you’re there, do go on a cycle tour of the fabulous city of Copenhagen but remember to lock your cycle to something firm and metallic.

3. Cycling Everybody in Denmark cycles. They cycle to work, cycle for fun, cycle for exercise, cycle to movies, to bars, to parties and to school.

And everybody cycles. Old, young, punk haired hipsters, serious people in business suits, mothers with their kids, daddies with their kids, kids by themselves – everybody!

For those of us who grew up in metropolitan India - learning to cycle in narrow by-lanes

4. Tivoli Garden Need I say more? It’s an old-school amusement park for kids, for adults and for www.poolmagazine.in 7

Launching at an inaugural price of 82,000/-

* Additional taxes applicable in Maharashtra.

opinion

Phil Ayres, Associate Professor, CITA – Centre for InformationTechnology and Architecture, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture

adults who want to get back in touch with their inner kid. Tivoli Garden is a wonderful oasis band in the middle of Copenhagen. For starters, it’s not madly oversized or morbidly commercial like Disneyworld or Universal studios. The rides are not very tall or very scary and they have no movie tie-ins. But Tivoli Garden is the most charming public amusement park I have ever been to. Ride the rides, eat cotton candy, drink sugar-laced juices, lounge on the garden and buy random toys and overpriced memorabilia from the gift shops. You know what they say - When in Denmark, do silly inner child-like things.

5. Centre for Information Technology and Architecture (CITA) Centre for Information Technology and Architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts is a design research centre that does some seriously fascinating work that combines materials exploration with cutting edge computer science. They first fool around with materials like wood, cane, steel and plastics to create structures, and then they so something really interesting. Once they’ve made physical prototypes, they reverse model the physical prototypes on powerful computers and see how they can replicate and refine these structures algorithmically.

They then make real life structures based on their computer models.

See more at www.cita.karch.dk/

6. CIID, Kolding School of Design and the Alexandra Institute.

CIID or the Copenhagen institute of Interactive Design was founded by the dynamic pair of Simona Maschi - former teacher at the Interaction Design Institute at Ivrea, and her former student Vinay Venkataraman - an ex NID-ian. CIID does some excellent work in the area of interaction design, man-machine interface and usercentric system design. The fascinating thing about CIID is the fact that designers don’t work separately from programmers and electronic engineers. Interaction design is by definition a multi-disciplinary, technologyheavy stream of design and so CIID encourages designers to work with engineers, sociologists, planners, psychologists. And they also encourage rapid prototyping.

Which means that students don’t just design in theory, they actually try to see if their theories will work in reality. The other two institutions worth a visit are the Kolding School of Design in the town of Kolding and the Alexandra Institute in Arhus. You’ll meet some very nice professors and researchers www.poolmagazine.in 9

opinion

The Rainbow Panorama, AroS Museum, Aarhus

working on projects with a strong focus on environmental sustainability. The Alexandra Institute is an equally fascinating research centre. A group of very smart technologists get together and see how modern day technology can solve complex problems. They work on the tech, the interface and finally make working prototypes of products and services ranging from children’s learning devices to robotic tools for surgeons. Fascinating stuff!

7. AroS museum in Aarhus Go to a city called Arhus (pronounced ‘Ar-hoos’) and once you’re there, go to a museum called ARoS. Once you’re in ARoS, try and convince Bjarne Baekgaard to show you around the museum. Baekgaard - a former art critic with a wicked sense of humour - is the Communications Director of the museum. ARoS is one of the world’s best museums of modern art. First start with the underground part of ARoS and move your way up through the hundreds excellently curated exhibits - both permanent and temporary, Danish and international, classic and modernist, till you reach the topmost floor. The topmost floor is of course, not a real floor. It’s a giant circular glass donut that’s made up of the different colours of the rainbow. Walk through the Rainbow Panorama as it’s called and see how your eye and brain keep adjusting to the colours. It’s hours of endless scientific and artistic fun!

8. Spinderihallerne Design Collective It’s a proven fact that designers tend to get cranky about real estate. If you’ve ever tried to wade your way through Mumbai or Delhi real estate agents trying to find a half decent office space that will actually give you a little elbow room to wave your bamboo stylus in without poking somebody else in the eye, you know what I mean. Which is why you are likely to be overcome by massive envy when you go to Spinderihallerne in the city of Velje in Denmark.

Spinderihallerne (pronounced ‘Spinnery – Hann’) is a former spinning mill that has been cleverly repurposed to become a supercool 13,000 sq.ft. collective office space for 60 different design-related businesses. You can rent a cabin, share a cabin or even just enough space on the floor to keep your desk and chair. If you must work in Denmark, then you must start by getting yourself an office here!

See more at www.spinderihallerne.dk/(Use google translate) 10 POOL #42

opinion

(Top) Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen (Left) Suresh in front of The Christiansborg ‘Borgen’ Palace, Copenhagen

garbage, but by 6 am the next morning, the roads are sparkling clean again. Damn that Danish efficiency!

See more at www.cphdistortion.dk/

10. Really cool people!

9. Distortion – the Copenhagen street festival Much like the rest of Scandinavia, Danish design and society is known for its restraint and observance of decorum. But for one week every year, the Danes seem to forget that they are Danes- and so they go to Distortion.

Mildly put, Distortion is the Danish equivalent of the ‘Kumbh Mela’. The music festival is held on the streets of Copenhagen.

It starts at around 4 pm, ends at 11:30 pm and moves to a different neighbourhood every day for one week. They day I went, 100,000 Copenhageners were on the streets, drinking, dancing and in general, cutting loose. By the end of the night, the streets are full of beer cans, bottles, plastic wrappers and general

And finally the last but far from least important reason - the Danes are a race of extremely nice people. Wherever you go, you will meet extremely helpful, courteous and sometimes wickedly funny people. I met designers, civil servants, random party people, fellow Indians, barmen, taxi drivers, heads of companies and lots of others.

Everybody speaks English, everybody is curious about India and almost everybody is keen on making some sort of difference to the world around them.

(Suresh Venkat is a media consultant and freelance writer. An NID graduate in Product Design, he spent over 8 years at CNBC TV18 where he was the creator of its award-winning personal technology show ‘Tech Toyz’. He is an occasional columnist, having written for TimeOut, Mint Lounge, Conde Nast Traveller and NewsLaundry.com.) sureshvenkat@outlook.com

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Institute 10 Development 58 kat 04 The Craft 52 Jenny Pinto 02 Uzma Show 44 Tinni Arora Anubha Kakroo a 22 Akshay Kaul 14 Abeer Gupt nan Krish ka Devi

evgan 18 ka D dry Neeti foun ype' 'Ek T 14 16 l 58 | r 20 Deo ai et g 32 F p re rt dia A u 50 Man indra 12 In Bas en B agar nais , Srin Jasle 44 A MIXIN h Gulati t 04 is Venka 26 Man h vare Sures t Nan Anan by hed grap Photo

pg 34 Nattoji Indrajit

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event

MIXIN Design+Brand +Business Talks, Srinagar Kashmir region’s first ever conference on Branding and Brand promotion‘MIXIN’ - concluded on a very positive note at SKICC on 16th November 2012. More than 200 Businessmen, Industrialists, Entrepreneurs, Bureaucrats and designers from the Kashmir region were part of this unique congregation. ‘MIXIN’ was organized by the region’s first International Design company- ‘INDI Design, Srinagar’ (a collaboration between INDI Design and Ms. Uzma Showkat- a young designer and entrepreneur from Srinagar) in association with J&K Industries and Commerce Department, EDI and Federation of Chamber and Industries of Kashmir.

The event saw a lineup of influential names from the design, trade and administrative sectors. Commissioner12 POOL #42

secretary Industries and Commerce Department - Mr Farookh Faktoo arrived in Srinagar straight from Delhi to attend ‘MIXIN’ and spoke about the importance of ‘Branding’ for Jammu and Kashmir. He accepted that most of us do not understand the subject which is imperative for the growth of Kashmiri brands. Sudhir Sharma, CEO of INDI Design, made a presentation on how he created Brands for Bajaj Auto and the city of Pune. Prof. Shashank Mehta of National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad made a presentation on how design helps small industries in a big way. He showed various projects from around the country that have taken help from ‘the Government’s ‘Design Clinic’ scheme. Packaging expert Deepak Manchanda from ‘Firstouch’ Delhi talked about how low quantity order packaging can enhance the brand for

event

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February 5-19 at Weschool,Mumbai, India

2014 Icsidinterdesign Mumbai

Invitation to Designers

(Participation is Free for selected Participants) ICSID 2014 InterDesign Mumbai 5th Feb through 19th Feb 2013 Welingkar Institute of Management (WeSchool) Mumbai Theme “Humanizing a Metropolis�

An Immersive Real Life International Project-Cum-Workshop 2014 Icsid Interdesign is a hands on immersive real life project-cumworkshop to be held at WeSchool under the Aegis of the International Council of Societies for Industrial Design (ICSID) 40 designers from India and abroad will work together with local experts for an intensive two-week period.

The participants will explore design issues of regional, national and global importance.

Who can Participate Participant would ideally be a practicing industrial / Product / UX designer or other disciplines of design including architecture/space design.

Participation is Free for selected Participants (ICSID InterDesign Jury will select the participants) Apply Now Down-load form : www.interdesignmumbai.com Mail the form to : registration@interdesignmumbai.com (you can attached detailed information/portfolio with form) Important Dates for participants Application deadline Notification to selected Participants

November 30,2013 Mid-December,2013

For more details : www.interdesignmumbai.com www.interdesignmumbai.com/CallForParticipation.html Media support www.indidesign.in

event

All pictures by Mir Muneeb

small businesses. He talked about packaging of saffron from Kashmir. Designer Ajay Gupta, also from Delhi, presented the role of Retail Design in branding processes.

While showing various interesting projects, he mentioned that ‘experience design’ of Houseboats and branding them in Srinagar would enhance business for the Valley.

Ms. Showkat then made a short presentation on INDI Design’s first brand and retail project in Srinagar- a cafe named ‘The Other Side Cafe’- which, she iterated, could be the first modern Kashmiri brand to go national. The Cafe is all set to open to the public in the next few days.

The event incited agreement from majority of the attendees that Kashmir, Srinagar, and crafts from the region need ‘Brand attention’ to grow and gain international glory and there is a need for higher awareness of how branding is done. Sudhir - who himself hails from Jammu - promised to bring MIXIN back to Srinagar with more experts and more exciting Brand opportunities. www.mixin.in | uzma@indidesign.in www.poolmagazine.in 15

Introducing Kashmir's very own, first of its kind Cafe Lounge Not a place, but a state of mind not you but what is inside you. that side of you that follows passion, passion that redefines your state!

The otherside is love, The otherside is what feels right, The otherside is your instinct crossover, come to the otherside

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Institute 10 Development 58 kat 04 The Craft 52 Jenny Pinto 02 Uzma Show 44 Tinni Arora Anubha Kakroo a 22 Akshay Kaul 14 Abeer Gupt nan Krish ka Devi

evgan 18 ka D dry Neeti foun ype' 'Ek T 14 16 l 58 | r 20 Deo ai et g 32 F p re rt dia A u 50 Man indra 12 In Bas en B agar nais , Srin Jasle 44 A MIXIN h Gulati t 04 is Venka 26 Man h vare Sures t Nan Anan by hed grap Photo

pg 34 Nattoji Indrajit

| Phot

ekw Malti Ga rbes 04 ah 4 had Fo urang Sh Dr. Naus i 28 Ga t Shadan Nashee

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typography

Scripting STORIES Typographers Sarang Kulkarni, Girish Dalvi and Noopur Datye of ‘Ek Type’ foundry talk about the challenging experience of designing Indic fonts and share with us the aligned developmental activities planned for the benefit of Indian typography.

under ‘one’ umbrella to develop and sell fonts, inviting others to be a part of it. Giving adequate importance to script grammar and script tradition, it produces standardized and compatible fonts in multiple weights, supporting all platforms for print and screen.

‘Ek Type’ is a name that incites curiosity.

What is the story behind ‘Ek Type’?

What was the aim and objective?

ET: Ek Type is a collaborative type foundry that specializes in developing fonts across Indian languages, many of which would be multi-script fonts.

In several Indian languages, ‘Ek’ is synonymous to ‘one’. ‘Ek type’ thus exemplifies what it stands for, by serving as an open, collaborative platform 18 POOL #42

Apart from developing and selling fonts, Ek Type will create documentation and awareness about Indian typography. In addition to this, it will mentor upcoming type designers by engaging with them in the process of design development and subsequently provide them with a platform to showcase their work.

What is your team like? How did the collaboration take place?

ET: The roots of Ek type can be traced back to discussions that started around 3 years ago when we realized that all of us had been developing fonts individually.

Sarang and Noopur designed typefaces

typography

Ek Type flyer

at WhiteCrow, while Girish designed several typefaces in the course of his doctoral research. We had collaborated and designed some typefaces for television channels. Around the same time, the hand-painted type project was under way. Individual script experts who had designed regional fonts were known to us and were a part of the ideas and conversations that were floating around that time. We realized that there weren’t enough spaces, opportunities and resources for type designers and type enthusiasts to collaborate and design contemporary Indian fonts.

To get all of these independent initiatives to come together felt like the next logical step. This is how Ek Type was formed. Ek Type is a manifestation of our passion and collective effort to have an online retail library, as well as an effort to build a community and a knowledge base for Indian fonts.It comprises of experienced

type designers, researchers and academicians spanning a wide age group with different skill sets, thus enabling exchange in the form of constructive conversations and collaborations whilst developing their body of work.

Which all languages have you developed fonts for?

ET: In the Ek multi-script family, we currently have Latin, Devanagari and Gujarati available in seven weights.

Work is in progress for the rest of the Indian Scripts. Apart from the Ek family, we are also developing several display typefaces in Indian scripts along with fonts from hand-painted type.

What kind of research do you carry out before developing a font for a particular script? How important is research for you?

ET: Research is an integral part of our type design process at Ek Type. In fact, www.poolmagazine.in  19

typography

20 POOL #42

(Top) Jainee (Left page; Top-Bottom) 1. Script-specific grammar 2. Various weights in font

we consider aesthetics and research as a differentiating factor when we compare our fonts with others. Since most of the Indian fonts do not have standard glyph sets, we have developed our own extensive glyph set which is comprehensive and fulfills a majority of typesetting needs.

At the same time, we are extremely conscious of the nuances of script tradition and aesthetics, and attempt to maintain harmony by aligning ourselves with it. Very often, we find ourselves researching and studying traditional letter structures through calligraphy.

What are the design goals that Ek Type has set for itself?

ET: The Ek family is an ongoing project to develop a unified type family for a large number of Indic scripts. The intention is to create and apply a set of common visual forms (a set of interventions sensitive to script grammar and script tradition having common visual forms) across the scripts while retaining their own identities. Multi-script type families usually give preference (accidentally or deliberately) to one script over the other, causing other scripts to look alien and awkward. The goal for the Ek family is to build one harmonious family across all Indian scripts without letting the visual features of one script dominate over others. These qualities allow the fonts to be used individually in single script text and are also ideal for www.poolmagazine.in  21

typography use where multiple script text settings are required.

What’s the most challenging aspect in the process of developing a font, especially when it is an Indian script?

ET: There are many challenges in designing fonts for Indian scripts.

The need is to confront and solve one problem and then move to the next.

Most importantly, to have patience through it all!

On the technical front, some of the challenges include: l Balancing the script grammar, script tradition, and modernity (and yet making the typefaces contemporary) l Glyph complexity and designing for a vast range of permutations and combinations of Matras and Conjuncts occurring in many languages. l Working to develop Indic scripts with softwares that have primarily been

22 POOL #42

l

designed to develop the Latin script.

There are many limitations that come with this. To overcome this particular issue, we have developed some tools to facilitate the development and testing of fonts for Indian scripts.

Indian scripts are visually very different from each other. Designing matching fonts across Indian scripts while conforming to the diverse and varied traditional script grammar of each script is perhaps the greatest challenge in designing such large multi-script fonts.

Do you consider type design to be about achieving a specific aesthetic or about solving a technical problem? Or some combination of both?

ET: It has to be both. At a basic level an aesthetically good font needs to be functional and a technically functional font needs to be aesthetic as well. There are certain type design projects where

typography

(Top) Modak font (Left page) Handpainted type ‘Painter Suhail extended’

the technical challenges are more. Currently, we are working on some fonts for tablets and mobile phones- here issues such as glyph-set size, hinting etc. are extremely important and hence designing for such devices involves dealing with many technical challenges. Other type design projects-display typefaces for example- rely heavily on the aesthetics of the letters.

What advice would you like to give to young type designers?

ET: At present there are many who are interested in type design but very few who actually sit and design typefaces. We would strongly encourage them to start making fonts rather than just using fonts, especially when they don’t find an appropriate font for use. To begin with type design, a good understanding of historical and traditional lettering and typefaces does help; exercises in basic calligraphy and lettering usually help designers understand the intricacies of letters and their relationship with each other. The area of type design is vast and its scope is immense with a lot of potential. Challenges characterize this journey and are inevitable. One needs patience, passion and perseverance to deal with them. But these challenges do offer a lot of opportunities, especially in the area of Indian script type design. sarang.kulkarni@ektype.in | girish.dalvi@gmail.com | noopurdatye@gmail.com www.poolmagazine.in 23

POOL magazine india’s first global design magazine www.poolmagazine.in

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| Photographed by Gourab Ganguli

Anubha Kakroo 02 Uzma Showkat 04 The Craft Development Institute 10 Devika Krishnan 14 Abeer Gupta 22 Akshay Kaul 44 Tinni Arora 52 Jenny Pinto 58

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illustrator

THE

exemplary leap of talent

Illustrator Anant Nanvare has come a long way from growing up with ‘arty’ dreams in the rural village of Tambwa in Maharashtra, to becoming a Cannes-winning illustrator in Mumbai.

Coming from a small village in Beed district of Maharashtra, you certainly have travelled quite a distance to where you are in your career right now. Tell us about your journey.

AN: Mine is your quintessential ‘smalltown story’. My father always appreciated art and encouraged us to pursue it. My brother Ramesh, for instance, went to J.J institute of Applied Arts. It was inspiring for me to see him grow up with that kind of dedication towards art, all along with our fathers support, and I also learned a lot from him. I myself completed my foundation course at Kailas Kala Niketan in Beed district, from where I was ready to apply for further education at J.J. Institute. I even passed the arts entrance exam, but due to the unavailability of some documents, I could not join in the same year. My insightful brother did not want me to waste that year and got me enrolled into Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya, Pune. After completing a year there, I joined 26 POOL #42

Print Ad for Conqueror Paper, Campaign: “Celebrating a decade in the land of a million hues”.

Concept: Conqueror Paper celebrated ten years of production in India with ‘Colours of India’ – a print advertising campaign featuring faces composed of rolls of paper. The face seen here is of a Kathakali Dancer. www.poolmagazine.in 27

Royal Rajput

J.J. Institute of Fine Arts to pursue a bachelors degree in Fine Arts, majoring in Illustration. With my career prospects taken care of, my brother further ensured that I learn to be independent as well and put me up in a hostel instead of letting me stay with him.

In first year of my coursework, we were given a ‘paper quilling’ assignment. As luck would have it, my work was sighted

by Mr. Santosh Padhi, Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer of Taproot India, at the annual exhibition of J.J. Institute.

A few days later I got a call to come and visit his office, where he handed me an archive titled ‘Best 200 illustrators of the World’ and told me that he wants my name in the list. Then he offered me some professional work. I was thoroughly excited and inspired by the fact that within the first year itself things 28 POOL #42

Spiritual Guru

were going this well for my creativity.

I could not even believe what was in store for me the next year- our project ‘The Times of India; Farmer’s Suicide’ won the Cannes Lion award 2013 and the next issue of ‘Best 200 illustrators of the world’ had my work and my name in there! It was a moment that cannot be described in mere words. Getting that kind of a career boost early gave me renewed impetus and drive to work as hard as I can. Every day I wake up and express to the best of my abilities!

Tell us more about your award winning campaign.‘The Times of India; Farmer’s Suicide’. What was the concept? What kind of illustration styles did you experiment with?

AN: We wanted to do justice to the sorry condition of the farmers in this country.

The number of farmers who end their

illustrator

The Times of India Farmers Suicides campaign, raising support for those affected by a plague of suicide in 2009 won 4 Gold Lions and 1 Silver at Cannes International Festival of Creativity.

Concept: Referring to the deceased farmers, facial features and expressions were captured and recreated using hundreds of dried hay pieces.

Padhi prefers, I knew the concept would click with him. I made a portrait out of hay and he liked it. It took 6 months for us to complete the whole campaign.

lives due to the failure of crops is huge. This was a very critical issue and it needed all the brainstorming and creative thinking possible. Just another illustration or bunch of photographs would not have made the cut. I sat down with Mr. Santosh Padhi and we looked at ways to approach it. One day I was walking and I saw some dry blades of grass and that was my ‘eureka’ moment.

Seeing the visual techniques that Mr.

What is the process you follow to execute a certain illustration project? Is there a specific style of illustration that you have developed and stick to?

AN: I love art and my passion for it stands tall, at the same time I have my own way of looking at things. There is a lot of learning that happens every day. There are many great illustrators out there to learn from and to compete with. How to stand out in the crowd is a question that I ask myself at the www.poolmagazine.in 29

illustrator

beginning of every project and that drives me to explore different paths of creativity each time.

It’s a two-way process for me. There are times when the client needs a specific style of work. Most of time when I am given a concept, I try and discuss my perspective and hear out their reactions as well. This enables both me and client to reach conclusions faster. Having your own style of illustration sometimes takes years, but luckily for me, over a short period of working with talented people, I have developed my style of work - but again it’s a learning process and you find your answers along the way.

Do you think the experience of winning awards has influenced your development as an artist? If so, how?

AN: Definitely. I won my first Cannes when I was in the second year of College.

30 POOL #42

It feels great and energizes you. Today people approach me with concepts and ask how I can bring uniqueness to it.

People I know keep asking me what am I up to and if I have done something new. It’s a positive thing. Even when I get work from outside the country, it’s due to the same reason – the fresh and different approach that I bring to the work. So, in a way, that exposure has enabled me to create an environment for myself that makes me feel good and positive.

Which other artists have inspired you and your work?

AN: For me my brother Ramesh is everything. He is the one who I watched growing up as an artist; he is the one who guided me throughout my career.

It’s great to have your inspiration from within the family. This way you can approach them whenever you want and

illustrator

SaReGaMa Company, ‘Keeping The Legend Alive’ Exhibition Concept: 1100 meters of audio tapes of various Indian musical legends were used to create their potraits. In order to reaffirm the association of SaReGaMa company with these old time tapes and the Indian Classical Music, this concept was successfully executed.

(Left) Ustad Bismillah Khan

get your doubts resolved. Secondly, India is a huge talent pool of artists, even the smallest of them have their own way of doing things. I watch them and learn.

accordingly. One should also trust ones hard work and efforts to bear fruit at right time and should learn to wait for the right time to harvest rewards.

What advice would you like to give to the budding artists and illustrators?

AN: Never restrict your art. Let it flow freely so you can keep growing with it. Also, no work can be categorized as small or big – every project has its own parameters and we should work

What are your plans for the future?

AN: I want to learn with new, varied experiences, for which I want to work abroad and gain international experience.

My long-term plan though, is to start my own design studio. anatananvare@gmail.com www.poolmagazine.in 31

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32 | Photogra Shivani Dhar pg

Institute 10 Development 58 kat 04 The Craft 52 Jenny Pinto 02 Uzma Show 44 Tinni Arora Anubha Kakroo a 22 Akshay Kaul 14 Abeer Gupt nan Krish ka Devi

evgan 18 ka D dry Neeti foun ype' 'Ek T 14 16 l 58 | r 20 Deo ai et g 32 F p re rt dia A u 50 Man indra 12 In Bas en B agar nais , Srin Jasle 44 A MIXIN h Gulati t 04 is Venka 26 Man h vare Sures t Nan Anan by hed grap Photo

pg 34 Nattoji Indrajit

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ekw Malti Ga rbes 04 ah 4 had Fo urang Sh Dr. Naus i 28 Ga t Shadan Nashee

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by Kurt Langer g ap prov jaj Allia ed Life Ashish Kalpund scrips Inz Fina Insuranc 02 Cagr nce e i Cank aya at th Divya & Navy e so 09 Mihir Bholey a Nira 10 Tanay Kum le di njan 24 Mandeep scre Nattoji ar 14 tion Nagi 44 of Ba Reva jaj Fi ti Gangal 52 Omk nanc ar e Lim gham 22 ited Fotherin

POO L 38 www .poo

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Chitnis 58

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by Tu 4 H etosk Satya rriday hin P ar 2 rth S sh D aul 6 ingh S esh 58 C wati Kal si 44 pande 12 agri Can S Chri h onan kaya stop Puri 63 e Tre her Pee tz 16 han 50

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cover story

DESIGNING EXPERIENCES, EXPERIENCING DESIGN Experience Designer Jasleen Bindra talks about pioneering the genre through her studio ‘Figments.inc’ and furthers the belief that we are heading towards an increasingly ‘experience driven economy’

Could you tell me a little bit about yourself,your background? How did you get interested in Design, more specifically Accessory Design?

JB: I am a simple person who believes in enjoying the little moments in life rather than chasing a big dream!

My father was with Civil Defense. As a result, I grew-up in various cantonments across the country. I made friends with people from almost every part of the country; understood different cultures, beliefs, rituals. It built into appreciation for diversity. I have come 32 POOL #42

cover story

Absolute, Bandra - the backstage salon

to believe that diversity helps loosen the mental construct.

My initiation to design was through architecture and I loved the training and the craft. Architecture teaches you to be extremely responsible about design- it also empowered me with skills.

However, I didn’t feel complete, and that is when NID happened! I say ‘happened’ because I hadn’t heard about NID till I was dragged to a young designer’s show by my good friend Sumir Tagra, in Delhi.

Both of us were mesmerized by the work and the possibilities. We decided to

apply the next year. As luck would have it, we both got through. So, in a strange way design got me interested in design!

When I read about ‘Lifestyle & Accessory Design’ in the program brochure, it made perfect sense to me.Ours was the first batch, and many were skeptical. We were a small class - all professionals from diverse fields and an amazing peer group. Shimul Mehta Vyas was the course coordinator and our sheath anchor. She designed the course ‘with us’ and not just ‘for us’. Now when I look back, all the pieces just fit perfectly. www.poolmagazine.in 33

Absolute Bandra -Private Room 34 POOL #42

cover story Experience design is a nascent field and took a lot of explanation. So much so, that I couldn’t introduce myself in one line!

Being the ‘early mover’ has been challenging as well as rewarding.

Four years down the line, experience design has gained traction. Our projects are visible and they speak for the domain of experience design. The change in macroeconomic climate, specifically evolution in retail, has helped us immensely.

Figments - STUDIO

When did you decide to take a leap and start ‘Figments.inc’? What was the concept in mind? Tell us about the most rewarding and challenging aspects?

JB: ‘Architecture’ to ‘Accessory Design’ was a process of learning and unlearning, but it sharpened my aesthetic sensibilities and gave a whole new scale and dimension to what I could create. Having gone through a very structured training in ‘architecture’ and then being exposed to something as dynamic and open-ended as ‘accessory design’ opened up a whole lot of ideas. I chose to work in the field of emotive spaces - leading to ‘experience design’ as my field of interest.

I dabbled and freelanced early-on and then in 2009-with a lot of support from my family - started Figments.Inc.

What is it about design and creating environments that excites you?

JB: As my initial training was in designing spaces, my connect with scale has always been strong. A memorable moment in my life is seeing the Taj Mahal for the first time. The entry threshold is pitch dark and cool, even at peak summer. I can remember the impact of that majestic building standing at the threshold itself. And the experience repeats itself every time I see it from that point. That is one scale.

The Garbha Griha in the Hindu temple is another. It reminds one of the warmth of the mother’s womb. That, I believe is the power of spaces. The sheer impact of decision-making and the connection that it has with the subconscious makes the design of environments extremely exciting.

The way we craft an environment, dictates the nature of association one will have with the space. This association at the subconscious level guides our decision-making.

Studies have demonstrated how display density affects the perceived value of a product. Designed environment affects us psychologically, emotionally and culturally. www.poolmagazine.in 35

cover story

Lakme pop up - Vogue fashion night out

Lakme Diva – store in store format

36 POOL #42

cover story Could you describe your most treasured project and its workflow, right from conceptualization to final execution?

JB: We were approached by LAKMÉ (a leading cosmetics and skin care brand) to design a flagship experience for them - the ideal environment in which the brand and its product would meet the patron.

Brand LAKMÉ is undergoing a calibrated metamorphosis, thanks to its visionary leadership team. After various studies and deliberations, it was agreed that a back-stage experience would most ideally convey the brand promise.

LAKMÉ has it’s presence across four formats- Colors, Skin-Care, Salon and the Fashion Week. The formats are so diverse that it’s difficult to weave them together, something or the other would be out of place. However, the back-stage experience made it all come together effortlessly.

We assumed a model space for the concept and developed the idea.

Specialized services were developed for the flagship experience. An iconicity manual was developed, it duly documented elements which would trigger memories of LAKMÉ in the consumer’s mind.

While the hunt for the actual space was on, we did real life interpretations based on the manual. These included a full-service flagship Salon, InStore Shop for Colors and Skin-care, Shop-in-Shops and Fusion Outlets.

The interpretations also included temporary spaces like the Lounge at Lakmé Fashion Week and a pop-up for Vogue Fashion Night-out.

None of them look the same. But the visual vocabulary and the atmospherics evoke the same experience. Designing an experience and developing interpretations of the same at such varied scales has been very satisfying.

The work on the flagship is starting now, but the elements constituting the experience are already performing on the trade floor.

What influences your designs for retail environments? What ‘style guides’ do you adhere to, to create a space that emphasizes the products or personality of the brand and tells a story through the interior design?’

JB: As a culture, we are association and memory-driven. It is evident in our festivals, celebrations and customs.

Experiences create memories; and experience is what we attempt to curate in space. Today, more than ever before, creating experiences, and in turn memories, makes eminent business sense.

We design spaces through mapping and creating touch points. The touch points inherently reflect brand personality and intertwine with the associations the customers could build with them! There are no ‘style guides’ or forecasts for creating experiences. In each experience, we ensure that there are four components- engagement, education, esthetic and escape. The blend varies with respect to the degree of participation. We recently designed a service experience for a leading telecom company. A service centre is a high activity zone - ‘waiting’ being the only passive touch-point. For www.poolmagazine.in 37

cover story

us, it disturbed the pace of the entire experience. We finally developed the waiting into something called ‘activewaiting’. The area allocation for the waiting was increased 200%, bar stools replaced sofas, cellphones and accessories were introduced along with 3G/4G hot-spot access, gadget rating by a third-party was prominently displayed, brand communication was replaced by curated information, tech-support was provided by the geeks (supportstaff) on floor. Now, the waiting area not only serves as an experience hub, but a space where the customers are happy to wait.

What are some of your favorite examples of retail designs that embody the brand and provide the consumer with an unforgettable experience?

JB: ‘Prada’ by Herzon & De Meuron and ‘Nike’ by 8inc. Prada in Aoyama, Tokyo plays out a unique aesthetic construct It enforces context-immersion when one first sees it from the street, about 500 meters from the threshold. Thereafter, the free-form surfaces inside subtly guide one through the touch-points 38 POOL #42

spread over four floors. The staff is least intruding and one escapes from ones reality within minutes of stepping into the store. You literally become the ‘devil’ Prada wants you to be!

Nike is a diametrically different experience. It humanizes Nike. The space and the brand blend in such a way that one ends up feeling that one knows a person called ‘Nike’ who always sold the best sporting/lifestyle products.

The material choices ensure that the construct is not intimidating. Everything is human scale. Intelligently documented partnerships with star athletes bring testimonials to life. While one is free to navigate at one’s own pace, visuals, merchandise display and the staff attire brings energy to the space. The space on-the-whole is a ‘do-room’ rather than another ‘show-room’.

What role does ‘Innovation’ play in your kind of work? In what ways do you innovate?

JB: Thanks to the connect we share with architecture, we do a lot of models in the studio. We also do mock-drills on

cover story

(Right page) 1. Lakme Fashion Week lounge (Top-Bottom) 2. Absolute, Delhi colour and hair area 3. Absolute, Bandra consultation room

key transactions in an experience. The studio space - a mere 220 sq.ft.- is constructed out of eight fabric panels (sheer & canvas). This allows us to create spaces in various proportions.

Sometimes it’s feels like a theatre.

On a more tactile turf though, innovation happens through infusing multi-sensory touch points as well as sensitive blending of materials.

In each of our projects we employ many materials- sometimes unconventional ones.

Whenever two materials meet, a detail is born.

This implies intensive prototyping and testing.

When we started working on the ‘I Mark’ exhibition, we started the design process by questioning what will happen to the materials after the exhibition. Hrridaysh Deshpande at the India Design Council encouraged us to innovate. We decided to hire door panels and plywood from the market, clean and stack them in various formats though weight balancing. Gravity was the only adhesive; glue, nails, screws and notches were barred on site.

The exhibition was an open-to-public event, therefore the structures were also tested for possible vandalism and misuse.

The question of ‘after-life’ is very close to our heart as Indians. Last year we designed postcards, which transform into this object we call ‘tatlie’. Tatlie is a desktop companion that www.poolmagazine.in 39

cover story can hold pencils for you, become a pin stand, or be a watch holder. Since many of the receivers of the postcards share work-spaces, three versions of tatlies were designed – experiencing time, experiencing space & experiencing life.

So you see, innovation gets triggered off when the obvious answer to a question, doesn’t quite answer it.

Curiosity leads to innovation. In our kind of work, one need to be forever curious, assume that an established logic may be flawed and the truth is yet to be discovered.

How do you choose your team members? What expectations do you have from your team when a new project comes your way?

JB: I like to think of the studio not as a space or a mere body of work, but a school of thought. A school of thought can only be built by people who imbibe the same values and passion for the Tatlie - the postcard and desktop companions

40 POOL #42

craft. I have been fortunate to work with a team that has both.

Harsh, my partner, helped me structure the verticals and set-up the studio initially. He opted for a sabbatical and spent a year in Japan with Shuhei Endo- a thought leader in architecture.

Now that he’s back, he spearheads space design and experience mapping in the studio. His coming onboard has catapulted the evolution of the studio.

Rujuta Kothadia-Shah and Neetika Devgan are the two pillars on which Figments.inc stands and has been scaled.

Their sensitivity and sensibility is inspirational. The responsibility they shoulder in terms of deliverables, studio operations and decision-making, is phenomenal.

We have created a flat organization where everyone is equally responsible for the delivery. Work happens

cover story

Mock-ups and full scale prototypes for I Mark exhibition www.poolmagazine.in  41

Design Drives Innovation.

A philosophy that nurtures a culture of innovation.

For over six decades, Forbes Marshall has been building steam engineering and control instrumentation solutions that work for process industry. Today, we are leaders in process efficiency and energy conservation through technology tie ups and focused investments in manufacturing and research.

Constant innovation in our product range is what helps us stay at the fore. We have

consistently brought to the market innovations in technology and design.

Several of our designs have won awards, the most recent being the Steamon Vortex Flowmeter which has won the iDesign award for the Best Design in Capital Goods.

To know more about what drives innovators at Forbes Marshall, write in to us at response@forbesmarshall.com .

Energy Conservation | Environment | Process Efficiency

www.forbesmarshall.com

P B # 29, Mumbai Pune Road, Kasarwadi, Pune 411 034, India. Tel. +91 20 27145595, 39858555, Fax. +91 20 27147413 A-34/35, M.I.D.C., H Block, Pimpri, Pune 411 018, India. Tel. +91 20 27442020, 39851100, Fax. +91 20 27442020

cover story

CARATLANE experience center

through delegation by mutual consent.

Hierarchies cannot work in a studio and we do not believe in them. The only thing that takes precedence is initiation and experience. Other than that, it’s free for all. In terms of choosing a team, backgrounds are incidental. I believe, studio-mates are stakeholders in the journey. There is never a wrong time to welcome a right person in the team. We are forever looking forward to meeting sensitive design thinkers.

Training the new generation of designers is gratifying. A lot of students and freshers come and go; we take a lot of pride in that. We take internships and diploma projects very seriously. Its unfortunate that given the space crunch, we have space for only one student at a time. Interaction with students brings freshness to the design directions, so the learning is mutual.

What should young designers focus their efforts on? Any pointers?

JB: Be open and learn – design is a 24/7 profession. Design should reflect in everything that you do- consciously and

subconsciously. Design is an acquired sensibility, it needs to be developed!

To quote the Catalonian architect Jose Coderch, “Put in your work, effort, love and suffering. Even if the work is not great, it will show care and dedication.”

Where does the future of Indian Design lie according to you?

JB: In olden times, design was need-based, was intuitive. Then industrial revolution brought about a manufacturing culture.

The whole Indian sensibility was focused towards ‘making’. In the last 20 years, an aspect of ‘service’ has attached itself to it!

In India, we have stepped into what can be labelled as an ‘experience economy’.

I believe, more than ever before, that we are moving towards delivering experiences through our products/ designs/offerings.

The collective future of Indian Design lies in how sensitively we can respond to the unfolding challenges of an ‘experience economy’. jasleen@figments.in www.poolmagazine.in 43

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Institute 10 Development 58 kat 04 The Craft 52 Jenny Pinto 02 Uzma Show 44 Tinni Arora Anubha Kakroo a 22 Akshay Kaul 14 Abeer Gupt nan Krish ka Devi

evgan 18 ka D dry Neeti foun ype' 'Ek T 14 16 l 58 | r 20 Deo ai et g 32 F p re rt dia A u 50 Man indra 12 In Bas en B agar nais , Srin Jasle 44 A MIXIN h Gulati t 04 is Venka 26 Man h vare Sures t Nan Anan by hed grap Photo

pg 34 Nattoji Indrajit

| Phot

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architecture

Fluid Architecture Architecture is essentially a living organism, enunciates Architect Manish Gulati – Principal Architect at M:OFA Studios, New Delhi.

The terms ‘Design’ and ‘Architecture’ usually find specific definitions with every established designer and architect.

How would you define them?

MG: Design is just about anything created with consciousness, awareness and purpose. Architecture is this confluence taking place in a space. An architect is a combination of an artist, a scientist and a philosopher. Each is individually propelled to question and create changes in the society. All together this creates a new tomorrow.

When did you make the conscious decision to take up architecture as a career?

MG: That decision was made in high school itself, considering that my mind has always had a creative bend. I took great joy in creating cities make of clay (despite not knowing who an ‘architect’ is or what it is that he does), model making, soap carving, painting, and the likes. Hence the choice was pretty clear.

44 POOL #42

National shooting academy, bhopal

CLIENT : Directorate of Sports and Youth Welfare, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh Concept : It was derived from the dynamics of undulating site and the functionality.

Instead of creating oblivious blocks for various ranges, a flow of dynamic forms were created, which merge, shootout and explode, thereby creating a flow that recreates the force field created by a shooting bullet from the pistol to the target.

Even today, all creative fields interest, influence and excite me. Be it music, philosophy, food, art, sculpture, graphics, dance forms - they all abstract into creation or the origin. It’s often the subtleties and reverberations of these forms, along with the many memories and emotions, that create spaces and in effect – Architecture.

Is M:OFA a reflection of a particular design philosophy?

MG: M:OFA or ‘Manifestation of Fluid Architecture’ is the realization of a design theory where architectural realms are redefined beyond the rules of regularized grids, dimensions and principles. Architecture, in this context, becomes a more fluid expression - continuously throbbing with vibrations of life. Here, the walls bend, column grids twist and the floors rise up and fall, responding to the ever changing energy fields created by the life forms it houses. Architectural box melts into a fluid, leaving a void to adjust the continuous paradoxes of the modern lifestyle. At M:OFA, architecture is treated as a living www.poolmagazine.in 45

architecture

organism that changes, adapts itself and responds to every change around it. The architectural organism is a store house of energy where the energy resources are conserved and recycled to sustain itself.

How do you approach a project at M:OFA? Is it more ‘research-reliant’, or does ‘innovation’ take top priority?

MG: The key lies in ‘Intuition backed by research’. Courageous concepts, bold ideas are given precedence, along with encouragement to venture into the unknown without fear - be it the field of technology or material. Innovation by itself plays a tremendous part in the design process. Every design opportunity is a chance to explore and create something which hasn’t been done before, or maybe take it to the next level by exploring a different aspect not attempted before.

46 POOL #42

To be precise, the idea is to always support ‘Innovation’ with enough ‘Research’.

What are the expectations from your team when a project is undertaken?

MG: Ideation, Research, Documentation, Innovation, financial management and drafting the timeline of a project are some basic expectations from the team.

We try and look into various aspects of design in a project and make it happen.

With our experience, we advice on the pressure points and steer the project towards completion.

How do you provide cultural perspective to your projects while designing an environment or a space?

MG: ‘Adaptive Response’ is of prime importance in any project. Factors

ARCHITECTURE like ‘where’, ‘for whom’ and ‘for what’ in the construction of a project completely changes its manifestation. Time period and people shape the project. ‘Adaptive response’ is delivered by actually interacting with the micro and the macro factors which include people, climate, culture, craft, heritage, art, nature. Any or many can become the focal point and eventually an environment is created.

What has been your inspiration in the field of Architecturein person and otherwise?

MG: There are many sources of inspiration in the field of Architecture. At the top of the list would be my Alma Mater – CEPT- and its brilliant faculty, including Prof. B.V.Doshi, Late Prof. Kurula Varkey, Prof. N.H. Chhaya, Ar. Leo Pereira , Ar. Gurjit Singh Matharoo and Prof. Lavingia, who encouraged , questioned and taught us Architecture - not as a subject - but as a philosophy. I can never thank them enough.

I greatly admire Le Corbusier for his tremendous contribution to Architecture, and for creating an illustrious body of work that continues to inspire generations of architects.

PROJECT The Golden Tusk Resort, Jim Corbett, Ramnagar CLIENT : Ivory Destinations Pvt. Ltd.

Concept : A true Agro Resort -The design intent was to give a firsthand experience of countryside living to the urban travelers and sensitize them to the idea of living with nature, effectively utilizing resources and minimizing waste, apart from being amidst nature in the cottages that resonate the local materials expressed in a contemporary design.

www.poolmagazine.in 47

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pg 32 i Dhar Shivan

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ARCHITECTURE

Toni & Guy Salon

CLIENT : Toni & Guy

concept : It was evolved from the ‘hair and comb’ relationship which is representative of the parent company.

The interaction between hair and comb – as it runs through the mane, is lifted, tied, falls in cascades and waves across the forehead and then reveals a shy glimpse on the edge, a sliver of the neck and back to the abundant silkiness and gloss of hair- manifests itself as the Toni and Guy, Gurgaon.

What is your advice to the new-generation architects and designers? How would you direct them in the current design scenario?

MG: Every upcoming architect and designer needs to inculcate more focus, commitment and passion for designing. Having patience is a big must! It is important to understand that architecture does not happen overnight. In fact, all good things in life take time.

What lies in the coming future for you and M:OFA? MG: Design and more design! We have an insatiable appetite for design, and the future will see us take up more projects based on bold & smart ideas that will actually make a difference to the quality of life of an individual and the society as a whole.

In essence, we are looking to get influenced by life and influencing it right back! mofastudio@gmail.com www.poolmagazine.in 49

textile

SPREADING WINGS Having found her creative calling (and love!) in India, Textile Designer Anais Basu wishes to spread global awareness about ‘Kantha’ embroidery through her label ‘Tia Pakhi’

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textile

Pile of Kantha scarves

From Paris to Kolkatta- what prompted you to move to India in 2006? Tell us about your journey up and until launching TIA PAKHI. AB: It all started on my first visit to India in March 2006. After my training in Fashion and Textile Design in Paris at LISAA Institute, I found the opportunity to come and work as a designer with a textile export-house in Kolkata.

Although I had read many books to inform myself about the country and culture I was about to visit, I could not have imagined what I was about to step into- a world full of creativity, joy, energy, hospitality and such a rich culture. I immediately felt at home in the city.

Through my work of creating designs in embroidery for the European market, I discovered a new medium and so many new techniques. I was fascinated by all the possibilities to explore. After this

experience, I went back to Paris to pursue further studies in Management and Marketing specialized for the textile and clothing industry. As ‘work experience’ during the masters program, I worked for a Delhi-based fashion company called ‘Madame A Paris’ on production developments, follow up, quality control etc. That experience gave me more confidence to deal with suppliers and the whole logistics of production in India.

It was in 2010 that I finally came back to India to settle down after marriage.

I started working on developing my own collection of products and finding artisans to work with. TIA PAKHI was launched in India in January 2012.

Tell us something about your collection ‘Tia Pakhi’? Why this name?

AB: I chose to name my company TIA PAKHI for a number of reasons. www.poolmagazine.in 51

textile I wanted a Bengali name since ‘Kantha’ - the craft that I am reviving - is originally from Bengal.

TIA PAKHI in Bengali is the name for the green parrots which fly around the region. The idea is to spread worldwide awareness about Kantha and embroidery skills in general. TIA PAKHI carries that idea of colours and exoticism. It also had to be a word which sounds pretty and happy in many languages. It gives the feel of a characteristic designer’s name.

Sometimes I actually receive e-mails addressing “Dear Tia Pakhi...”. I like that contrast of simplicity and sophistication it exhibits.

My objective is to present Kantha with a fresh new look and make handcrafted products reach the homes of a more diverse clientèle. This way, the Craftsmen can keep their craft alive

and find opportunities to develop their skill and their economic situation. My collection comprises of embroidered pillows, throws, bedsheets and bedcovers, table linen, accessories and clothes for women, men and children.

My work doesn’t follow trends and fashion, but I create timeless products which one would be happy to live with for the longest time. I would say that my work fits in the movement of ‘Slow Fashion’. The pieces are made with care and patience and are made to last.

Why specifically ‘Kantha’? What are your other favourite fabrics to work with?

AB: Kantha is a technique of embroidery I discovered on my first visit and it instantly appealed to me for its simplicity yet great intricacy. I love the texture it brings to the fabric and the feel of it. On my first visit to India, I explored Dhalia Motif Detail

52 POOL #42

textile this technique through few pieces of work that I had developed with some artisans and I felt I could go much more in depth and maintain a relationship with the community of craftsmen in order to develop my own signature style within the craft. Also, the region where I live is where kantha originates and I felt it could be applied to a larger variety of products.

Colour plays a very important role in my life and work. I love to search for different combinations endlessly. I use mainly Mangalgiri cotton for my collections as it is handwoven fabric which comes in a myriad of beautiful Table Linen colours. I find yarndyed fabrics have much more depth in colour, which brings more beauty to the handwork. It also works very well for embroidery since it has a high count of yarns thus making it strong yet fine as a fabric.

Where all are you retailing at the moment?

AB: I am retailing from my boutique in Kolkata which is located in a quaint Bengali neighbourhood. It is an area in Kolkata where one can walk around enjoying the attraction of the place. The boutique is in an old Bengali house where I have created a blend of French and Bengali aesthetics with customised old furniture. The blend of traditional and modern living is part of my personality and style.

I also organize few exhibitions every year in different cities around India and abroad.

I have exhibited my work in Paris , Rome and most of the metropolitan cities in India, tying up with various boutiques or private spaces. I like to present my work www.poolmagazine.in  53

textile

(Clockwise) 1. Knot-stitch cushions 2. Kids’ soft toys 3. Kids’ outfit

54 POOL #42

in a very personal way, where one can browse through the collection at peace and be explained the details of the design.

How do you go about giving a contemporary edge to traditional textiles ?

AB: I think the ‘contemporary’ aspect lies in the use of a wide colour palette and my choice of patterns along with the variety of products I apply this technique to. I keep the design minimalistic in order to enhance the detailing and the quality of the handwork. I take special care in keeping the best finish possible to the final products to give justice to the hard work of the artisan. The idea is to create products which are hand crafted yet fit in a modern and sophisticated lifestyle. My goal is to encourage people who wouldn’t initially find handmade products appealing, to pick up Tia Pakhi products for its colour, design and practicality and start appreciating the soul of handmade products.

Women Artisans

Your textiles are handcrafted in India.

How did you go about initially setting up relationships with Indian artisans?

What challenges have you faced in dealing with craftspeople based here?

AB: Making contact with artisans was not an easy thing in the beginning. First of all I went through the process of learning the language to be able to converse directly with them and to explain my ideas. The next challenge was selecting a reliable group of artisans which could deliver the quality I was expecting. It was quite challenging in the beginning to change the usual pattern of work of the craftsmen and get the results I was looking for. My dedication to one technique has helped me develop a relation with them and get their personal interest in this new style of work.

Where do you turn for inspiration – fine art, travel, books, magazines etc ?

AB: In India, I am constantly stimulated creatively- especially in a city as vibrant and colourful as Kolkata where the traditional culture is still so present in the urban life. Even so, traveling is necessary to inculcate an open mind and be inspired to create new ideas and ways of working. Of course art and design

books are very inspiring but I don’t think that it can be enough. I think creativity is taking ideas from various places and putting it together by combining them with your own personality. Through traveling, one gets so much inspiration in terms of colours, forms, products, lifestyle, ambiances. Nature has always been a main source of inspiration for me.

There are uncountable textures, patterns, forms and colour combinations in Gods’ creations. One just needs to look around and observe.

Which all Indian designers, artists and creative people do you admire?

AB: There are so many! To name a few, I like Sanjay Garg’s line of textiles called ‘Raw Mango’- I feel he is very unique in India. I am also very fond of Aneeth Arora’s clothing line ‘Pero’ and the jewelry line ‘En Inde’.

What would you describe as the most significant development in contemporary textiles within the last 5 years in India?

AB: There is a very noticeable trend catching on in the Indian textile industry- that of coming back to the roots of craftsmanship in India, www.poolmagazine.in 55

56 POOL #42

textile coming back to natural, simple fabrics like Khadi, encouraging minimal design and traditional skills. It is still very niche but the demand for this kind of style is growing – all for the benefit of the artisans.

Do you plan to initiate a west-east collaboration in some form in the future? What sort of prospects do you see for India and Europe as far as textiles is concerned ?

AB: I think there has already been many successful west-east collaborations in textiles, and that is great !

A lot of foreign designers have come to India to work with Indian techniques, and have been inspired by the skills of the artisans here. Also, more and more Indian designers are being appreciated in the western markets. I personally don’t have any concrete plans for a collaboration, but I believe it is through collaboration of different skills that great things happen and I am open to any opportunity that may come my way! info@tiapakhi.com

Kantha Yellow Cushion

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jewelry

SCULPTURAL ADORNMENTS Jewelry designer Manreet Deol talks about creating ‘everyday wearable art’ using non-precious metals and about finding inspiration in nature, travels and memories.

Please tell us a bit about yourself. What did you study and what inspired you to become a jewelry/accessory designer?

MD: I have always been artistic but not in a ‘painterly’, ‘fine-arts’ sort of a way. I love creating and forming things with my hands and that lead me to pursuing a career in design. There were many other influences too- for example, I distinctly remember the time, when in 9th grade, I saw photographer Bharat Sikka’s fashion illustrations in our Art room 58 POOL #42

in school (we both went to the same school in Delhi). They were magical and instantly sparked in me a deep interest in Fashion and Design. I went on to study Accessory Design at NIFT in the late 90’s and later Design Marketing at Parsons NY and both of these experiences were life altering. At NIFT we had amazing access to working with traditional crafts and a lot of time was spent translating our ideas from Paper to reality. This was much before designs were conceptualized on computers. This hands-on training instilled a love and sensitivity for form, textures, colors and materials. My time at Parsons and New York put me in the middle of all of the design industry action. Living in the city and soaking in all that it has to offer in experimental art, underground music, street fashion, world foods etc. - it all still influences my creative language.

Tell us about your venture - Manifest Destiny. Who all are a part of the team?

What was the main idea behind starting your own brand?

MD: Manifest Destiny is bold, confident, and inspired sculptural jewelry that is

jewelry

Quarry Wrapped Bracelets www.poolmagazine.in  59

jewelry In an increasingly cluttered design world,where there are too many mass-produced, mediocre products, we decided to do the opposite.

We set out to create soulful unusual pieces, which are exclusively hand-crafted by us in small batches and which we hope will act as inspirational talismans for our collectors.

We also wanted to create and present to the world, a new imagery of Indian Jewelry Design. It is not inspired by paisleys and jhumkas, nor is it an uninspired adaptation of whatever is showing on the fashions ramps in Paris or Milan - Manifest Destiny is a brand new language.

Quarry & Agung Pendents

beautifully hand crafted.We are a firstgeneration, family-owned business run by two siblings.

I have always loved designing jewelry and my brother Samraat Deol is an e-commerce expert. In the summer of 2013, I was busy with design consultancy gigs with various American brands and Samraat was in between jobs when an epiphany dawned upon on us over a phone call - why not blend our penchants for ‘Art & Sculpture and everything pretty’ with cutting edge e-commerce business ideologies to set up a contemporary jewelry brand that is truly unique!

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Why is the collection titled ‘Sculpture’ Jewelry?

MD: The term comes from how we perceive our pieces and the process that goes into creating them. I believe in designing timeless pieces that are as free from trends and cultural references as possible.

Every design begins as a lump of clay that is fashioned into bracelets and pendants. This tactile process leads the design process, and very akin to the great masters, our sculptures are cast in various metals using the ancient technique of ‘sand casting’. A sand mold is formed for each and every piece by experienced craftsmen. Once the metal is poured in, it is then allowed to set and finally the mold must be broken apart to reveal the piece. Each piece is therefore created in its own mold and is one of a kind. Every piece resonates

jewelry

Quarry Bangles

with the indelible mark of the forger, which in turn lends a unique Aura to our collection.

‘Everyday Wearable Art’ is truly our guiding mantra.

What all materials do you experiment with? What’s the story behind your designs? What kind of statements are you looking for your jewelry to make?

MD: We like to work with materials that are not very traditional for jewelry- we love using ‘non-precious’ brass and aluminum. The use of these resonates with the democratic attitude that our collection carries.

We love the challenge of using materials and techniques that have previously been used for casting everything from household goods to the figurines of gods and goddesses, but are now unexpectedly used for jewelry. The use of aluminum always intrigues people. We want to continue developing collections along this ideology. Our goal is to test and question perceptions of what is ‘precious’ and what is seen

as traditional and contemporary Indian design.

Who identifies with your collection?

MD: A lot of our customers tend to be fellow creative professionals. They tend to be confident urbanites who love to travel, have interests in art and music and of course- a busy work & social life, which is why our pieces are great because they transition so well from work to play.

What else inspires you? Are you inspired by other cultures as well?

MD: More than any specific culture, I would say that I am constantly drawn to nature in all its glory. I am very fortunate to live very close to the community of Auroville and its ever inspiring forested land. The macro and micro views I discover on my walks there hugely impact the textural quality of my work.

Artists and sculptors have also always played a huge role in helping me develop my own unique vocabulary as well. I could live in one of Richard Serra’s monumental sculptures! Louis www.poolmagazine.in 61

62 POOL #42

jewelry Totem Pendents

Bourgeois’s drawings and thought provoking sculptures are a constant reminder to bring in some of my personal stories and experiences into my work.

I love to travel and take millions of pictures to record patterns, forms and feelings that all come together to form narratives. For example our Agung Coral collection is a reflection on a trip to east-Bali last year where I tried free diving in the ocean for the first time. The volcanic ocean floor was littered with corals and I used the memory of those textures as well as the spiritual experience of diving underwater in one breath, to create the collection.

The collective memories and subconscious documentation of all of the above manifest into jewelry as I sit down and sculpt each piece.

What do you love most about your work?

Its very gratifying to be able to make a living doing what I absolutely love! Its great that I have been able to form a niche for myself in a highly competitive jewelry industry with a design vocabulary that is an extension of my sculptural visions.

Sprout Bangle

How do you retail? What platforms do you use?

MD: We have an amazing web store where our collection retails exclusively.

We sell and ship to over 200 countries from our Pune office.

What is the scope of jewelry design in India?

MD: Jewelry has always been an intrinsic part of our social and fashion structure but its been great to see more and more designers take some creative risks with both precious and costume/art Jewelry.

Contemporary jewelry is still in its infancy but the possibilities are limitless as women and men seek more unique and meaningful design.

What is your advice to young jewelry designers?

MD: Learn the business from the ground up. Invest your time in working with companies that have their own manufacturing, in order to really understand the structure of the industry.

And through this all, push yourselves to create pieces that offer a new viewpoint.

There will be many who prefer that you simply ‘adapt’ pre-existing work but there truly exists a design vocabulary that will appease all. Determining this for yourself, of course, takes time! manreet.deol@manifestdestiny.in www.poolmagazine.in 63

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