Goa On Display

- Keith J Fernandez

From their coastal heritage and the Portuguese influences, woven in everyday life, to their famously laid-back attitude, Goans are fiercely proud of the cultural distinctions that set them apart from other Indian states. Both within the state and the country, however, there have been very few attempts to showcase this extraordinary culture and the many different ways it has widened the diversity of our subcontinent.

Designer Wendell Rodricks has been an enthusiastic champion of his home state’s traditions, reviving dying crafts and channelling the Konkani ethos into his art. His book, Moda Goa-History and Style, is perhaps the most definitive treatise on the state’s costume history. While writing it, he realised the pre-Portuguese Kunbi sari was in danger of extinction and set up a project to revive the distinctive red and white weave.

However, it is his latest labour of love that could resonate most strongly with future generations. Rodricks is now hard at work turning his 450-year-old home into the state’s first costume museum, the Moda Goa Museum. Tucked away in the serene village of Colvale, the collection travels from ancient times to the present, the designer explains, with many pieces from his personal collection.

Personal collection

“The oldest object is a seventh-century stone sculpture and the youngest are modern Goan, Indian and international objects. There is a photo gallery that reveals the clothes of people from the last century. It is quite exhaustive,” he says.

A pair of Christian Louboutin shoes is among one of those many personal items that Rodricks donated to the museum, alongside a diamond and ruby Amrapali broach and Cartier cufflinks.