As we at ARCH College unveil Fashion Colloquia 2020 for the first time in Jaipur, India we hosted a Chrhca on the theme, “Heritage-Stories of Change, Our shared future”. The legacy of our heritage, handlooms and culture will be interwoven seamlessly to reflect respect for Traditional yet a Contemporary and “Responsible Future”
The cultural heritage, craft, and industry of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of “The Pink City” of Jaipur act as a catalyst in the study of design. The city inspires us and at the same time offers a multitude canvas to work on. The research led, interdisciplinary learning practiced in the ambience of this World Craft City has attracted pluralistic identities & cultural contexts. Fashion Colloquium 2020 will allow varied sets of contributions to be added and explored, within a responsible and interdisciplinary frame and context in order to invest in a shared & sustainable future for fashion.
From L to R – Shweta Singh, Mukesh Gupta, Pratima Pandey, Archana Surana , James Ferreira and Anna Tuhus
Every fashion and culture has a meaningful story behind it. The theme was beautifully expressed in the creativity meet known as Chr-cha organised by Arch College of Design and Business. Chr-cha a knowledge exchange platform created right ambience for fashion stalwarts to come together at one place to spread awareness on sustainable future for fashion. The event also marked the announcement of ‘Fashion Colloquium 2020’ to be held in January. James Ferreira, Pratima Pandey, Mukesh Joshi and Archana Surana were the panelists in the discussion, and the session was moderated by Anna Tuhus-a designer and researcher from London.
Archana Surana, Founder & Director, ARCH pioneer in design education echoed the need for preserving Indian techniques and design in order to uphold the indigenous skills and craftsmanship. With industry creating a huge impact on people and revenue, the onus lies on each one of us in keeping the fashion fabric of the country and maintaining the whole essence of Indian-ism.
Sustainability and maintaining the eco system was another topic which was touched upon in Chr-cha. As the ace designer James Ferreira (Label James Ferreria) righty said that India has an age old tradition of zero waste and recycling and other nations have only now started adopting the practice of recycling. We (Indians) should recognise and take pride in our legacy of textile and civilisation.
Fashion Designer Pratima Pandey, Queen of Chanderi (Label Prama) further emphasised on the need to keep Indian heritage at the forefront. Handloom is a part of India’s rich cultural heritage. It provides livelihood to the weavers, thus to provide employment to hand loom weavers, she started ‘Harappa’ -a label synonymous with preserving and promoting the essence of handloom in India.
The Chr-cha also discussed Indian –Western fashion difference. The panel members opined that there is strength in both practices, India has many stories to talk about- stories not yet told. The Colloquia will provide the right impetus for stories to be shared with a global audience. Mukesh Joshi from Morarka Foundation stated that though India produces fabrics for its own consumption and for export unlike the western counterparts, one should learn the idea of branding, marketing and packaging of products from The West.
This Chr-cha served an ideal platform for learning and gaining awareness on Indian heritage amongst the attended guests and panelists. The knowledge shared opened new ways for meaningful conversation for transformation.