In an exclusive conversation with Firtspost, designer Anita Dongre talks about fashion for a cause, why it is important to save the wild, sustainable fashion, revival of weaves and why it is time to go slow.
In the month of November, the City Palace in Jaipur was buzzing with life. Anita Dongre presented her craft-led couture show, Rewild’23 to help raise funds and awareness towards nature and elephant conservation. It was a landmark event full of glamour, royalty and fashion. We all remember the memorable Oscar-winning Netflix hit The Elephant Whisperer. It was director
Kartiki Gonsalves
who advised Dongre on her project to save the elephants.
Rewild’23 was one of the most memorable fashion gig of the year to preserve wildlife. A pioneer and proponent of purpose-driven fashion, sustainability and women empowerment has always been at the forefront for Anita Dongre. The debut chapter of Rewild was co-hosted by Princess Gauravi Kumari of the royal family of Jaipur. Supported by Kartiki Gonsalves, the Academy award-winning documentary maker and photographer who stepped in as the advisory partner, the funds raised went to the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) to amplify their project in South India addressing human-elephant conflict and promoting peaceful coexistence.
Talking about her destination show
Anita Dongre
said, “I have dreamt about a show like Rewild for a long time. Our country has incredible architecture, historic monuments, and breath-taking landscapes that make the perfect backdrop to showcase our indigenous crafts.”
Rewild’23 intertwined fashion with a crucial call to preserve our planet’s extraordinary wildlife and pristine habitats. While the show itself was the crown jewel, the weekend of events also moved the gaze towards the
Princess Diya Kumari Foundation
(PDKF), a collective focused on the economic independence of the women of Rajasthan. The organisation promotes social entrepreneurship working with women to provide training in stitching and handicrafts, facilitating health initiatives, promoting education for girls and skill building to create sustainable livelihoods.
Anita Dongre
said, “Rewild gave us the opportunity to highlight Indian crafts and architecture while raising funds for nature and elephant conservation. This intersection of purpose and design is the lifeblood of what we do and we hope to have many more occasions to present it to the world. It’s always been part of our brand ethos to sustain our cultural legacy.”
Rajasthani techniques like block-printing, Kantha, _gota-patt_i, and beadwork, in modern silhouettes, fall in the category of the designer’s signature techniques. A strong believer of revival of weaves and saving the wild, the collection’s embroidery patterns were centered around nature and wildlife.
In her choice of venue, Dongre said, “The exquisite art and cultural chaos of Jaipur is my inherited legacy and inspiration. Rewild has been a passion project year in the making, and it was a dream come true to showcase it at City Palace where I have so many fond memories.” It was here the designer first met Lekhraj-ji, a Pichhwai artist who was restoring the fading ceilings of the palace. As they got talking, Anita realised the only way to keep his intricate craft alive was by creating work beyond restoration. Since then, the designer and artisan, have collaborated to bring the hand-painted craft of Pichhwai to couture pieces that are widely regarded as art collectables and have gone to become a signature of the brand. She continues, “This show is a way for me to put the spotlight on India’s craft heritage and India’s threatened wildlife. I’m thrilled to have Princess Gauravi Kumari by my side on this journey to revive and rewild.”
The couture collection showcased, brought this conversation to the ramp featuring global contemporary silhouettes that encourage you to wear crafts beyond traditional settings of weddings – whether on a red carpet, a cocktail party or a celebratory brunch – thus bringing the old into the new. The collection features embroideries by the women artisans of SEWA, Rajasthan’s own Gota-patti and hand-painted Pichhwai. Every garment features abundant foliage and exuberant wildlife of Indian forests. Intricately embroidered and hand-painted elephants and birds interspersed with trees and florals dance harmoniously across the entire collection, bringing to life the message of co-existing peacefully with nature.
The music for the show was a stand-out experience featuring the powerful voice of the iconic Bhawari Devi jamming with the contemporary Komorebi against stalwart percussionist Nathulal-ji and his troupe of Nagada players. The weekend was a curation of hand-picked home-grown artists that celebrate Rajasthan and the entire project was thoughtfully women-led. The table florals conceptualised by Claire Deroo was punctuated with vibrant bougainvillea florals grown locally in the palace grounds.
She explained, “I have always believed that fashion is a force of good and in 2023, as a people we simply don’t have an option. It is important to use what we do and love as a way to fight for the planet.”
Anita Dongre
has been talking about sustainability and saving the environment from fashion pollution much before it became fashionable to talk about it. Talking about revival of weaves, Dongre added, “India’s rich history of craft textile – whether weaves or otherwise has always fascinated me. We work with artisan clusters across the country incorporating as much of these techniques into our work as possible and am very excited to see more and more young designers use traditional crafts in their designs.”