Tu bhi kalakar

A shirt dressed in patchwork A robe appliqued to the wearerrsquos liking Totes with their ownerrsquos artwork printed on it like a limitededition trophyWe are entering an era of DIY fashionmdashnot doityourself wersquove all been there and made tiedyed Tshirts in our teens but designityourselfThe Kala Khoj initiative by artisanal pret label 1111 eleven eleven is set to launch For you Child Project on October 2 Using indigenous craft techniques of applique called khatwa in Bihar and kantha running stitch embroidery the project hopes to preserve and celebrate art made by you and your children through clothing and lifestyle products like laptop sleeves aprons placemats quilts cushion covers and tote bags ldquoThe customer in a way becomes the designer For you Child Project provides a service The products will purpose reclaimed materials with the base made from handspun and woven homegrown fabrics which the label also uses and has access tordquo explains design director Shani Himanshu who cofounded the pret label with graphic designer Mia MorikawaGiven that the making of these products eliminates using machines or energy the entirely handmade process from composition to final design and shipping takes three to six monthsThe final product on the wearer The project aims to preserve the essence of playful and instinctive visual expressions in childrenrsquos drawingsItrsquos fascinating what happens when you matchmake some of Indiarsquos best craft artisans with artistic customers Kala Khoj conceived by the label as an opportunity to build an ecosystem in which the processes from seed to stitch are designed to nurture the environment and people does just that Supported by the Goodearth Heritage Foundation the initiative is a forprofit producer company coowned by artisans based in the Khambra village in Kutch Gujarat With Kutch being the epicentre of Indian crafts a complete value chain is possiblemdashfrom hand spinning the yarn to weaving by hand dyeing using natural colours the use of hand embroidery and finally making the garmentThe idea struck Himanshu 42 during the lockdown in April 2020 Kala Khoj currently engages 300 artisans who work from their respective homes across rural areas ldquoThey are part of the producer company and wersquove enrolled them in a provident fund as well But as they specialise in particular skill setsmdashsome are expert tailors others are skilled at bandhani or kanthamdashthere may not be enough work to sustain them through the year A project of this scale helps build consistency into the modelrdquo he tells middayArtisans practice the craft of applique using reclaimed fabric to compose a customerrsquos artworkWhatrsquos more This project ramps up development of product passports across B2C business to consumer assets which makes it a firstofitskind initiative to put the spotlight on the consumer while also starting a dialogue around heritage and the culture of craftsWhen Kala Khoj started work on the project in 2020 they called for art entries from children A few of the original drawings were chosen to create lifestyle products that were then shared with their young creators ldquoItrsquos not often that they get to see their drawings turn into a product so naturally there was an element of surprise and curiosity around how it was realisedrdquo he addsHimanshu ShaniThrough the project Himanshu would like to reclaim the meditative aspect of indigenous craftmaking techniques The act of making is not just a nice activity it can inspire and connect Making can also be a social activity and as a dyslexic teen who had difficulty keeping up with school curriculum the act opened up a whole new world beyond books for Himanshu ldquoMy exposure to art was through my cousin who used to bring home hand drawings as he was studying to become an architect This was in the midrsquo90s when CAD printing and threedimensional model making was not in practicerdquo says Himanshu who went on to acquire a masters in fashion design from Domus Academy Milan Itrsquos important how we design something and as a designer Himanshu says he likes to respect the talents and hands of those who make textiles ldquoThe energy in human hands has the ability to transform people just like craft artisans can transform materialsrdquoTo participate and register your art at Kala Khojrsquos Child Art Project visit httpskalakhojin registrations open October 2 onwards