"CARPETS HAVE AN APPEAL OF LUXURY"
In an attempt to take India to the world, bespoke carpet company, Obeetee has tied up with fashion designers Tarun Tahiliani, Raghavendra Rathore and Abraham & Thakore. The first, 'Proud to be Indian' collection is by Tahiliani. We caught up with the designer for a tête-à-tête.
WHY DESIGN CARPETS?
Traditional rugs look beautiful; they have the patina of age. I always end up picking old carpets that have aged over time. Even their reverse side with duller colours is something I have always been drawn to. I dislike this fast food generation, where everything has to be rushed and quality gets compromised. Carpets bring with them a certain feel and appeal of luxury that cannot be hurried.
ON COLLABORATING WITH OBEETEE...
Obeetee is the best and the oldest carpet company that is high on creating and working in a sustainable environment. The fact ABC Carpets in New York is showcasing these carpets (made by Tahiliani), says a lot about the company and the quality it is known to offer. I started working on the collection in 2013; the brand was very patient with me and the collaborative results have been fantastic. (Featured here is one titled Brocade Garden)
INSPIRATION BEHIND THE DESIGNS
There were three inspirations, at that time. I love using chikankari techniques in my couture line and that also became the basis/inspiration for the carpet designs. The second inspiration came out of borders of miniature paintings; I cut and chopped them and took motifs from there to create a line of classical carpets. The third inspiration was born out of my paintings. The technique I use lets colour drip over the canvas and I paint over it. This resulted in ‘India Modern’ pieces, where there is layering, abstract forms and flowers.
THE USP
Each piece is hand finished and a limited edition. We have used Indian metallic red, kasab, a bit of Swarovski, silk and wool. In fact, when we acid washed them, the wool got eaten away giving a beautiful aged patina and stunning
WHAT’S NEXT?
Depending on the response I would love to do a chikankari carpet in black. I already have so many colour waves mapped out in my mind, that I would like to introduce in the next round. PRICE `6,25,000 (Brocade Garden, 9x6 rug) AT Taj Khazana, The Taj Mahal Hotel, 1 Man Singh Road, New Delhi