Wajahat Rather started Raffughar as a tribute to the traditional darners of Kashmir. He uses his label to contemporize the ancient craft techniques of his home state.
How were you drawn to textiles?
WR: I studied painting in Jammu before I went to NID in Ahmedabad to study textile design. While I was studying painting I felt the objects I created lacked function. In the art school it was more about esthetics and philosophy. I wanted to create products that could serve a human need. It was partly to do with my innate curiosity and partly to do with the fact that I’m from a multicultural background. I’m interested in behavior how different people think depending on where they are from, and creating a dialogue with people that are different from me. The coexistence of a multitude of cultures definitely opens my mind.
I am from Kashmir, which is famous for its exquisite textile crafts. During my school days our neighbor, Ab Gani Padder, used to reuse old woolen carpets to make embroidered gabbas. My father had a kaleenwaan (carpet workshop) when I was a kid. Unfortunately he had to shift to a government job when there was a decline in the craft. Textile I guess was part of the daily rhythms back then and that may have helped my decision to study textiles at NID. I went on to do an MA Design - Fashion & Textile from Nottingham Trent University, UK.
How did your time at NID impact your career?
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A Legacy Continues
Leveraging the success of his family's export business, Naman Jain is focusing on creating a retail presence in India
Creating KAIRA
Long fascinated by Indian fabric, Nikita Gupta has launched an attractive line of contemporary apparel in traditional block prints
Stories faces tell
Aditya Narula dabbled in various vocations before he realized portraiture was the best way to express the fascinating complexities of the people he encountered along the way
time tested DESIGN
Surrounded by art and architecture as a child, Sarah Sham went on to take the family antiques business in a new direction through her interior design venture
DANGEROUSLY DELICATE
Kavya Potluri's attention to minute detail is what sets her intricate and unconventional jewelry apart
music as muse
A multidisplinary visual artist, Aaron Pinto, also known as Kidsquidy, has had an interesting journey that started with MTV and has him now working on everything from music videos to stage design
DEVELOPING A DISCOURSE
Documentary photographer Taha Ahmad believes his work has a greater purpose than merely being admired by a select audience for its esthetic value. It's when people are able to see the underside of society and understand the prevailing social injustice that the work tries to reveal that it is truly worthwhile.
Tiny little Stories
Creating miniature worlds allows Ruchika Nambiar to continue to play childlike games of make-believe
The Richness Of Handmade
Amit Vijaya and Richard Pandav are committed to bringing together many hands and hearts through their clothing label ‘amrich’
The perfect balance
Aniruddh Mehta is as much graphic designer as visual artist, and he tries to do justice to both through his work at Studio Bigfat
