Do you plan to buy some bespoke handcrafted items ahead of Poila Boishakh? City designer Sohini Halder’s colourful venture Renaisa might turn out to be the perfect choice for your décor solution. The 25-year-old gritty lady picked up brushes early on in college to give a unique spin to discarded bottles and kitchen materials and now this hobby has turned into her full-time profession. Her décor and gifting brand Renaisa specialises in functional art forms and is a spin-off of the French word Renaissance.
“My label is a melting pot of traditional and contemporary art forms. We bring art and functionality together through our products wrapped in eco-friendly packaging," shares Sohini. We talk to her about the latest Bengali New Year collection.
Are you making anything specialised for Noboborsho?
Each product from the house of Renaisa has a local touch to it. We curate Bengal themed products throughout the year which can be used both as home décor and gifting items. Our bestsellers include kettles typically found across the city and wall hangings featuring the Kolkata skyline. We have also given a modern spin to the traditional Kalighat patachitra on these products. Our hand painted asymmetric wooden tableware can also be a great Poila Boishakh gifting item.
What are some of the most common colour palettes that you adhere to?
Since doodling is our forte, we have a well-defined colour palette for the same. It is a very vibrant combination of orangish-yellow, red, blue and white. We tend to keep a white base as it reflects light well. For other products carved on wood, we mostly stick to pastels.
Do you change colour palettes according to seasons?
Yes. Spring being the wedding season, we receive a lot of gifting orders around this time. We maintain a pastel colour palette to keep at par with the soothing blossoms we see around. As we move towards Rathayatra and Rakhi, we make designs on Jagannath and keep the hues gorgeous. Since it marks the beginning of the festive season we add a hint of gold to our designs. Further into the festive season as Autumn sets in, we shift to vibrant hues of red and yellow.
What are some of your other bestsellers?
We have started selling unstitched hand painted and hand embroidered scarves and stoles that serves a dual purpose. It can be framed as a display of art as well as be utilised as a fashion statement. We also have specialised gifting combo sets priced from low to higher ranges for individual and corporate gifting.
Has gifting choices seen a shift over the past few years due to the digital market boom?
Yes, definitely! A lot of people have to miss out on events due to busier schedules. The digital market space has made gifting more accessible to these individuals as it allows them still to send over tokens of gratitude to their loved ones in just one click. At Renaisa, we cater to art enthusiasts all over India and abroad.
Where: Instagram: @renaisa.official, Store: Ferns N Petals
Price: Rs 250 onwards