Chinar Farooqui has never believed in popular practices of fickle trend cycles. Rooted in rural India, her design narrative picks hints from traditional practices while engaging in a dialogue with the contemporary world.
Owing to her father’s transferable job she got to travel through rural Rajasthan, understanding the local techniques which enriched her eclectic design vocabulary. Coming from a fine arts background from MSU Baroda, she belonged to a conservative school of thought, where the ‘fashion’ and ‘art’ were explored in a subjective way. Her time at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad (NID), helped her attain clarity, and develop a deep interest in textile research. “As a child, I have grown up in rural Rajasthan where many communities carry on their traditional ways of dressing. It has been since then that I was drawn to the aesthetics of the rural folk. It was as though I had a deep connection with folk sensibilities; at NID I realized this yearning”, she explains. Past few semesters, she realized the number of possibilities the world of design had to offer and this led to the launch of ‘Injiri’ in 2009.
Over the years Chinar’s work has evolved. While exploring simplicity and comfort, Injiri as a label focuses on design-driven by the process – the process of how the cloth was made. And in a market dominated by machine-made perfection, this approach has helped her make a mark. “The process leaves its memory on the final product and that’s what people can relate to as Injiri”, Chinar says.
Injiri, the label which has registered its presence in reputed stores such as ABC Carpet & Home in New York and Journal-Standard in Japan, has been working with handloom fabrics since it’s inception and still continues to do so without succumbing to the commercial pressures where, at times they have been expected to use mill-fabrics to reduce costings.
Weavers and their masterstrokes are the focal points of Injiri and Chinar clearly does not believe in forging a momentary relationship with the weavers. “We try to never give up on the relationship with weavers, it’s not like we work one season and switch to some other technique next season” she informs.
For all the design aficionados out there, here is everything you should know about this interesting homegrown label which is making waves in the international market.
1. Tell us about your formative years. What are your earliest memories of fashion/design?
Chinar: The earliest memories of design/fashion are actually discussions amongst peers at NID and art school. I knew I was not meant for fashion since the meaning of ever-changing trends made no sense to me. I think forced trends, forecasts, whats in vogue and what not was something I just did not relate to. I came from a fine arts background where we were more conservative with the word fashion and explored art in our own subjective way. And I was quite certain that I was drawn to very old and antique clothing.
2. What’s the story /philosophy behind your label? How do you come up with such unique names for all your collections?
Chinar: Design to me means working within the limitations of the techniques to create beautiful products. It means to allow the technique to generate innumerable possibilities of how beauty can be achieved. It could be the most obvious or simplest solutions – but in simplicity lies absolute beauty. I think that design must be driven by one’s soul and deep-rooted understanding of materials techniques. As a child, I have grown up in rural Rajasthan where many communities carry on their traditional ways of dressing. It has been since then that I was drawn to the aesthetics of the rural folk. It was as though I had a deep connection with folk sensibilities; at NID I realized this yearning, and for the last 9 years I have been exploring this sensibility and my work has become an expression of this idea. It has become the core philosophy of my work through the label Injiri.
In olden days making clothes was a very slow process and allowed the maker to do each piece at leisure – also woven material was a precious commodity and it was used frugally. The “hand-made” quality is very evident and I am probably inspired by that over and over again.
The names of our collections are connected to the inspiration of the textiles, or the techniques themselves.
3. Hints of different folk cultures and your traveling experiences often show up in your beautiful creations. How important are traveling and culture as a part of your creative process?
Chinar: I think traveling and culture are an essential part of my creative process. From my childhood, I have traveled a lot. When I was young my travel was limited to Rajasthan, where I was constantly exposed to traditional textiles and you can find those influences in my work. At NID I developed a deep interest in textile research and the stories related to cloth and dress. One of my first important experiences was travel to Ladakh for a documentation project. That was probably my first in-depth encounter with the world of traditional textiles and realization of how through the medium of textiles one could understand so much about the region and its people. And I fell in love with textiles in a deep way. After that, I traveled to various parts of India such as Lucknow, Chanderi, Kachchh which are important textile centers of India.
Local people have a certain boldness and effortlessness in their dressing style. The reason being, in a country like India, the dress is still region/community specific – and defines social identity – that makes the wearer accustomed to a certain textile and it’s usage. Also, “traditional dresses” of local communities have a very strong link to the textile techniques specific to their own geographical location. Because in ancient days people wore what was produced locally, and each community had certain textiles that were mainly produced only for them in the same or nearby village.
Whenever I travel to different parts of India it inspires me to observe the local dress of the inhabitants because of the beautiful usage of the locally made textiles.
Although now a lot of the handmade textiles are replaced by mill produced imitations of the same. Having said that one can still see how effortlessly and beautifully a Rebari women carries herself in a stunning black attire : “pernu” (draped bottoms which are still woven locally), blouses with beautiful gathers and hand embroidery in white small stitches (although the handloom fabrics in many cases is replaced by polyester), combined with woolen “lodhkis” or veils (that are still produced for them by the local khatri dyers). And in the same way a Rebari man in his white “kediyu” or gathered jacket and white “pachedi” draped lower garment and shoulder cloth – is one of the best examples of how inspiring local dressing styles in India can be. (images attached no1.) It is stunning, bold and very beautiful and the memories of these remain very strong in my mind and is an endless inspiration for my work.
4. What sets your label apart? How would you define your signature style?
Chinar: This is hard for me to answer because I have never really thought about this. I think my work explores simplicity and comfort. I think what sets it aside is the visual language which one finds running across the home and clothing both. There is an emphasis on design that is driven by process – the process of how the cloth was made – and the process of how the garment was made. The process leaves its memory on the final product and that’s what people can relate to as Injiri. Also, I think the produce evokes the nostalgia of the past…
5. What are the kinds of textiles you are currently experimenting with?
Chinar: I am working on recycling waste that comes out of our garment and home production. In general, we try to consume all the parts of the fabric in the garment but with cut and stitched products one does end up with quite a lot of waste. I have been holding on to waste from the time we produced our first collection in 2009. Finally this year we plan to work on textiles that are developed from our own waste. This will make us feel much better.
6. A lot of brands are becoming sustainably conscious lately. Tell us a little about your efforts in that direction. Any specific fabric/product or initiative that you have come up to support the cause of sustainability?
Chinar: The brand’s concept since its very inception has been to work with the handloom. We do not have any fabrics that come from the mill/factories. Many times we are requested to replace the handloom with mill-fabrics to reduce costings which we have never done the same. Our fabrics are produced only on the hand-looms for the last 9 years since we started the brand. We probably work with 100 to 200 looms at any given time through the year.
We try to never give up on the relationship with weavers, it’s not like we work one season and switch to some other technique next season.
7. What are your future plans?
Chinar: To explore the beauty of Indian textiles further…
