The PICO FINISH, often goes unnoticed yet it fuels an important sense of choice, security and freedom for the household women who work on this finish. I'd recall memories of running with a bag full of mom's sarees to a lady two streets away for this finish. The thin yellow strips on the sleeves, shoulder seams and pocket edges are the PICO FINISH. It's a finish that's not very evident on menswear and I wanted to reconnect with that one aunty who does this still date. This jacket resembles that reconnection.

A 0 Count Khadi Kala Cotton jacket dyed in natural mustard with kantha embroidery detail. It has wooden buttons with a western yoke cut. 

A 0 Count Khadi Kala Cotton jacket dyed in natural Indigo with kantha embroidery running all over vertically. It has wooden buttons with elbow patches and a western yoke cut.

A 0 Count Khadi Kala Cotton jacket dyed in natural red with Dabu prints made from a 300+ year old block and kantha embroidery detail. It has wooden buttons with a western yoke cut.

Fascinated by this small floating village just north of Fort Kochi called KADAMAKKUDY I visioned this particular design. Kadamakkudy is a village that, if seen from above, looks like thin strips of land (mostly roads) running in perfect geometry while having water on both sides. The white stripes that are connected to the main black piece of the jacket using this zig zag technique gives the idea that these strips are floating. The small beads detail show people/family gathered at these roads and spending quality time by the water.

On my recent trip to Kochi, I noticed a rather interesting practice: Fishing nets - small pieces of this net was being attached to the main net by the fishermen at places where it had been torn. While they were joining these pieces, they left the raw edges unfinished and every time that net took a dip the raw edges became more prominent, creating quite a visual to see. This observation inspired the raw edges on this jacket and the cowrie shells since its a beach side story. 

Dori or Ropes have always meant to tie things together and thats it?  Only used for its function? What happens when you let this dori move freely, release it of its tension and give it a chance to mark its prints? It creates a beautiful story of its own, not bound by its function but its exploration and ups and downs along its path. This is not about the dori. Its a reminder to mark your own path and discover your own strengths through challenges only faced by you.

A 0 Count Khadi Kala Cotton jacket dyed in natural Indigo with sailor's wheel motif print done using the Dabu technique and details in kantha embroidery. It has wooden buttons with a western back yoke cut. 

This is what the recent Rajasthan's step well's revival effort signalled to me as an artist. The recent revivals has attracted alot of cultural and art events across artists. This tells us, intent will always either bring out the full potential or leave things ignored. The aim is to keep doing what you believe in and someone will realise it value, maybe instantly or maybe eras after, but the value it possesses will never reduce.This jacket is inspired from this perspective, depicting the arial view of these step wells.