An interview with Padmaja Krishnan of Slow.Useless

I know I normally never write about fashion, cause I'm not a fashion person, I just don't think I love it or know it enough to write about it here. But then Padmaja Krishnan sent me her work. So. Interesting. There was so much feeling in these pictures, a mysterious and elusive quality which is tough to pin down. This clearly transcended fashion, it spoke to me. The fact that the designer made the unusual and brilliant choice to use Mita Vashisht as her model definitely piqued my interest.

Slow.Useless is Padmaja Krishnan's world where she "creates authentic, non-confirmative and avant garde clothing that can be labeled quirky and original. Her design-sense is wicked and loaded with pun and humour yet her products are harmonious, light on senses and contain a disciplined understatement. In her design, tradition is deeply respected even as it’s brought into a close dance with the contemporary and the futuristic: A frayed hem left open “refers simultaneously to the weaver’s loom in mid-shuttle” or to grunge or to old Vreeland saying - `never explain, never apologize.’ "

A few glimpses of her work. And an interivew with the Padmaja.

Artnlight: Was Fashion your 1st choice of profession & why do you do what you do?
Padmaja: I was nowhere close to choosing fashion as a career. It sounded too frivolous. When I was about 17, I was unhappy with the cuts my tailors provided and hence decided to learn how to make my own clothes from a friendly, neighbourhood Punjabi aunty. I enjoyed what I learnt- the art of sewing, cutting and making clothes and in those days would spend a few hours at the end of the day stitching my own clothes, toying with fabrics, threads and needles. Coming from a family of thorough academics, I enjoyed mathematics, biology, economics and literature. I never had enough faith in my creative abilities nor did I ever really test it. After much convincing by my sister who literally forced me to apply for NIFT for my design school, I relented and much to my surprise got through the entrance exam. There has been no looking back since then. As a schoolgirl I dreamt of many other professions as a choice including Police, lawyer, engineer, doctor, chartered accountant. But if you ask me today, I thank the weird, mundane, accidental
events that led me to choose fashion-clothes making as a career.
Artnlight: Would you call your work fashion or style or art
Padmaja: I would call it ‘clothes making’. I just make clothes and work to achieve very elementary basics in a product like style, comfort, fit and feel. So in that sense i could be called a stylized tailor. But then I like to surprise myself with my own creations. I never follow seasons, trends or markets. For me a piece has to surprise me, delight me and convince me to wear it. In that sense, my approach could be like that of an artist.
Artnlight: What inspires you and gets you going?
Padmaja: ‘The inspiration comes from the unexpected, from looking at the environment around with insatiable eyes, experimenting with office tools, daydreaming and a wish to hide the limitations of the techniques used when making clothes’ – Koromo by Jurgen Lehl. The approach to design is intellectually reductive, reexamining and reducing details to produce unpretentious simplicity. The endeavor is to create objects of excellence that are timeless and hopefully will give pride to the maker as much as to the user.

Artnlight: Who do you design for
Padmaja: Someone who is curious, avant garde, classic, simple, unpretentious.

Do catch her exhibition today 24th Feb & tomorrow 25th Feb at The vermillion House, 3/12, Cleaveland Road Cross, Fraser Town, Bangalore, 560005.

‘wild silks: khadi linens: malkha cottons: kosa saris redefined as asymmetric tunics: kaantha scraps: hand sewn techniques: rags: deconstructed skirts, seamless jackets, classic kurtas, hand woven men’s pants– This exhibition will feature Padmaja's explorations with the ‘SLOW’ and the ‘useless’.

Recently

Warning. This is a quick peek, a hello, a things-are-coming-up post. A few snap shots of getting ready and getting set. Unpacking.

And then you need refreshments. Enter, age old canteen, distressed benches. The kind of finish that no skilled painter can achieve for you on demand. This takes time, years, a lifetime.

This tea has the tang of ginger.

Out of bubble wrap.

Stacked before arranging onto metal racks.
Necessary rituals.
Before the show begins.

More New Designs!!

This series is from Rajasthan again. The land of never-ending inspiration, where legendary artisans lived their love for art and design. And lived it so well that they have now become immortal through their work that ignites the mind of travellers from across the world. If you are looking for art, design and folklore, Rajasthan can be your one stop shop.

Embellished with hand-painted gold. The inside of the box is painted an antique gold (which doesn't show in this pic)

There. Its done, I have shared it. Finally. And now I can tell that nagging voice in my head to shut up :)
And by the way, do write to me if you want any one of these.

Art by Aarohi's Poonchh Collection

I have been seeing Aarohi's Art for a long time. On buckets, chairs, kettles, tables. You name it and she has probably painted on it. Bright bold and spontaneous art. So this time when I went to Bangalore, I called her up. And she said, come over, "I have to show you something" I could sense the excitement. It was palpable. We met at Aarohi's art filled home. And I for the 1st time I came face to face with her infectious spirit. Like how did they fill one body with so much enthusiasm, so much fire, so much clean energy? We spoke of everything from her art to her children to the colours in her home and finally about her new project.

Only the project is new, but everything she feels about it goes deep down. She described to me in detail the atrocities that street dogs have to undergo, how inhumanly they are sterilised and left back in localites not their own & therefore at the mercy of the local strays. And finally how they just quietly vanish. All this spelt out in the very articulately Aarohi way.
I think a lot of us feel strongly about certain issues, what's amazing how Aarohi has taken it to the next level and actually done something about it. She has designed this bright colourful collection of accessories, like totes, clutches, wallet cum key pouches, laptop cases, iPad cases, iPhone cases and cushion covers - around her cause, stray dogs. ArtByAarohi's Poonchh Collection is exclusively about stray dogs.

Her practice sketches on the right

And now coming to the point, Aarohi's Happy bright and smart Poonchh Collection

"Aarohi is also putting her money where her mouth is. 50% of the profits from the sales of every item in the Poonchh Collection will go towards the welfare of strays in perpetuity, particularly towards spaying and neutering them. “I believe that, over time, animal birth control and better garbage disposal in our cities will help in solving the problem of strays on our streets.”

“I want people to carry the products around, and for the products to become a talking point,” says Aarohi. “Hopefully, that will set off a ripple effect, leading to increased awareness about strays, and translate eventually into better and more humanitarian care for the dogs.”

To know more about the why's and how's in Aarohi's voice click here. And to see who she is working with, which is Voice of Stray Dogs, click here.

And to buy the cool stuff featured here, do head to 100 ft Restaurant, Indiranagar, Bangalore.

So are you? Ok, atleast those in Bangalore? Its on for 3 days. 10th, 11th & 12th Feb 2012.
If you have any questions, write to aarohi@artbyaarohi.com or rakesh@strays.in

Artnlight and Black Taxi @ the Mahindra Blues Festival, Bandra

My products which got a bit of a break are BACK. I did not share with you the new designs I made for my Diwali Exhibitions. Here they are. And you will be able to pick them at the Mahindra Blues Festival, where Black Taxi is putting together an exhibition of select brands. I will be there :)

NEW!!! Tissue box as well :) It doesn't have a base and can be kept on the standard Tissue Box

With just a hint of Handpainted gold

More new products coming up! And please save the date :Feb 11th & 12th 2012,

11th Feb, Saturday - 5 pm - 10pm

12th Feb, Sunday - 12pm - 3pm & 5pm - 10pm

See you there!

Meeting Archana Srinivas of Rang-decor

The 1st time I heard of Archana Srinivas was when I saw Rang-decor featured in Holly Becker's Decor8 blog. I was going through my obsessive 'discovered decor blogging stage', and had just decided I will start a design blog since I didn't know any Indian decor bloggers. So I excitedly and effusively commented on Archana's blog about how excited I was that I had seen her. An Indian design blog! From there I discovered her flickr stream & man! Seeing her pictures opened up a whole new way of seeing things for me. I think I can safely say that Archana has inspired and taught a whole generation of Indian amateur photographer's to create and see beauty in their own homes. In a few weeks time I started this blog artnlight. This was in August 2007, four and a half years back, and ever since we have each been diligently and eagerly following the others blogs. I don't think I have missed a single of Archana's posts. Through the years, we became quasi friends, consulting with each other whenever we felt the other could help. When I 1st designed something on this blog, Archana was the one 1st one to appreciate it & my 1st design prints sit framed in her home. Much before I even thought of doing aything with my designing.
So you can imaging the anticipation & excitement with which we finally met last week when I was in Bangalore.
And it truly felt like meeting an old friend. I think one of the most endearing and memorable things that Archana said to me as soon as she saw me was "Let me look at you properly :)" Over Italian lunch we spoke of blogging, our journeys, strange unique 'behind the scenes' experiences which only a fellow blogger will understand. Like it was too funny when Archana told me about how her family makes a big show of asking her "Can we eat it now?" once she cooks something amazing. I think all of India collectively drools over her amazing food photography. We laughed about how our families tease us and indulge us in our strange passion for photography and blogging.

For those who don't know that's Archana Srinivas on the left & I am on the right :)

So this is the person and the camera behind all those beautiful pictures.

After lunch we moved to this coffeeshop where Archana had her favoured brew 'Chai' (read her chai chronicles here) and I had coffee. And much shooting ensued, the table was strewn with the many beautiful gifts that she had collected and gifted me. She also bought the a copy of the 'Desire to Inspire' book that I had brought for her.

I realised we spoke so much more personally than we ever would have on mail or on phone before meeting. For both of us blogging has been a journey of trust as much as it has been about documenting the beauty we see around us. How much more real is a connection when we take the time out to really meet face to face. While it is so much easier to connect to people through facebook and phone, and while it is impossible to really 'meet' many friends in person given that there are only 24 hrs in a day etc, I am finally beginning to understand that what can happen when people choose to leave the comfort zones of their computer screens and make the effort to really connect, the connection is really then a lot more deeper and substantial. This is of course stating the obvious.
I say this because all of a sudden I seem to be meeting so many people whom I only knew online. I recently met Megha Punater of Arth and Nitya, and last week in Bangalore I met both Priya Sebastian(whom I met once before) and Aarohi Singh, all of whom I only knew online. I cannot begin to tell you how much these meetings have meant to me, but I will try in the following posts, so stay tuned :)