A trip down the memory lane...... August 18 2014
Took a trip into the past...and what a trip it was!
For those of you who have only just discovered Lai, you may not know that before founding Lai, I was freelancing and worked exhaustively in the craft sector- traveling the length and breadth of India for govt. and privately funded design intervention projects with various craft clusters.
I got a message on my Coroflot page (on-line portfolio site for designers) after years and got to see my own work after sooooo long (I created this portfolio in 2006 and last logged in perhaps in 2009!). Sharing some of the work with all of you....
Looking at these pictures brought back soooo many memories- of the travels, of sights and sounds associated with each of these places, the craft persons that I had the fortune to live and work with........
Isn't it odd that sometimes when you look back at where & who you were, you almost don't believe it was you?! Please tell me I'm not alone in feeling so!
Hand beaten metalware of Hajo, Assam: products developed during a design development workshop with metal smiths of Hajo, Assam. Material: Brass.
Blue pottery of Jaipur, Rajasthan: products developed during a design development project for Central Cottage Industries Emporium (CCIE), Delhi.
Hand crafted leather bag made during a project undertaken in Auroville, Pondicherry (left) and for a Kolkata based export house (right)
Woolen hand knitted shoes of Imphal, Manipur: products developed during a design development workshop for women involved in the cottage industry of hand knitted shoes in Imphal, Manipur.
(Left): Age old Kashmiri craft of Papier Mache combined with terracotta (both glazed & unglazed) to produce a range of ethno-contemporary items of home decor. Srinagar, Kashmir (Right): Teracotta of Bhubaneswar, Orissa: products developed during a design development workshop for potters in Bhubaneswar, Orissa.
Handcrafted items in polished (water buffalo) horn developed during an on-site design development work shop undertaken in Sambal, U.P.
Revival of Kinnauri shawls- Kinnaur, Himanchal Pradesh: Some of the final products. One of my most challenging project till date!
Home furnishing using back strap loom weaves of Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh: products developed during an on-site design development workshop.
Bags & accessories using textiles & embellishments of Gujarat: products developed during a design development workshop using textiles from Bhuj & Ahmedabad in Gujarat.
A range of bags developed under my name and retailed from a few exclusive boutiques in Delhi like Ogaan. On left are bags in raw silk with old Kashmiri shawl borders. On bottom left are bags in bandhej silk with faux fur. On right is a collection of bags in fleece with appliqué work in silk.
Originally posted on our Facebook page on 19th August, 2014 and on 20th August, 2014.