My project brief was to develop a collection of fabrics suitable for home furnishings, utilizing available facilities and exploring various techniques that would also serve as a reference point for developing fabrics for future use.
The project involved exploration of various forms and techniques, the understanding of an established style of design and client base, reviewing available infrastructure and assimilating all these factors to create something new for the label. It involved understanding a market that is very selective, adapting to the system of work, imbibing an established style of design and yet creating something new and apt for the label.
I decided to take two diverse directions and then tie them together. One range was inspired by flowers, and another by geometry, where flowers were taken to a graphic level and the geometry to an organic level, so that they could be used together.
To create a range of products that included cushions, curtains and runners, I broke down the entire process into four projects. The first was to develop a library of floral motifs on paper, ranging from organic to graphic and simultaneously exploring these forms through embroidery and visualizing them as surfaces.
Next, I selected certain motifs and developed surfaces which could be translated through screen printing. The third step was to develop embroideries and textures based on organic geometry. Finally, I had to develop products using the prints, embroidery and textures and also develop certain styles which could utilize the fabric waste generated while stitching.
Contrary to my belief that freedom favours creativity, I realized for the first time that it is far more difficult to work when there are no immediate constraints put on one’s work. It requires experience, clarity in understanding and discipline to work without constraints.
