If Delhi-based label Jajaabor’s lead designers Kanika Sachdev and Neelanjan Ghosh had not visited Bikaner for a shoot, we’d have never known of the existence of the captivating Usta art form. The exquisite art that has Persian roots, flourished in the Mughal era and beautifully intermingled with the marvellous architecture of Bikaner in olden times. Today it manifests its glory in the architecture of Bikaner’s Junagarh Fort’s Anoop Palace, Chandra Palace, Karan Palace and Phool Mahal. When Jajaabor’s team went to Gaj Kesari hotel in Bikaner for a shoot, they were intrigued to hear Usta’s story. They found that Usta artists of Bikaner do intricate wood carvings to shape a 3-D pattern, then paint it in exuberant colours and add a splendid touch of gold that gives it a regal appeal. That was the moment when they were inspired to pay homage to Usta with their collection Wah Usta Wah SS22.
Extolling the history of the art form, Kanika and Neelanjan share with us that the art form originated around 600 to 800 years ago when Persian artisans were invited to design forts in Bikaner. “Their descendants stayed back in India and now only the last eight brothers are still in Bikaner. Though we have studied artforms extensively in NIFT, we had never come across Usta. Like many other art forms, this too is languishing, since the younger generations don’t see themselves making enough through it. We felt that it was important to promote the art form and spread its story.”
The celebrity label which has previously been spotted on Sara Ali Khan, Taapsee Pannu and Regina Cassandra, showed its collection at the FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week in March. The collection portrayed that the confluence of heritage arts with contemporary fashion defines the modern India of today. Kanika and Neelanjan tell us about their design philosophy for this collection, “In India, we have such strong classic silhouettes which Indian women feel very comfortable in. Yet, every time they have to travel abroad, they are confused about what to wear and buy western clothes. We believe that if we are comfortable in classic Indian silhouettes, then why can’t we design them in such a way that they can be worn on the streets of London or Paris? The question hence shaped our guiding philosophy for this collection.”
Jajaabor’s team did a lot of research on the Usta artform to understand how they could introduce it in the contemporary market by using textiles. Sharing how they minutely grasped the intricacies, Kanika and Neelanjan share, “We travelled and met these artisans in Bikaner to explore the finer details. We went to Bhanwar Niwas Palace to see the brothers doing the touch-ups and the interiors of the palace. It was fantastic to see them working on the colours and motifs. We also saw them do the 3-D models and then paint them. There were a lot of aspects that we wanted to pick up like the colour stories, the architectural forms, the steps, the arches, the small windows and the jaalis. The motifs and colours had a strong Persian influence with tones of yellow, teal and usage of gold to highlight details.”
While the designers took inspiration from the art form, they wanted to convert that into something more contemporary, keeping in mind the commercial aspect. The designer’s inspiration then translated into making 3-D kind ensembles by using layering and cut work in designs. They used breezier fabrics like silk and Chanderi, thus making the pieces lighter and suitable for the Indian summer. For the motifs, they clicked a lot of pictures, created alluring storyboards and converted them into prints thereby using the fabric as a vivid canvas. With Wah Usta Wah, the designers indeed breathed life into an age-old art form by merging them with opulent silks and elevating their grace with exquisite embroidery, delicate cutwork and prints.
₹15,000 upwards. Available online.
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