CHENNAI: While looking through the website of Studio Kassa, a design house brand based in Jaipur, I was struck by the phrase “Home is where the art is”. It is a simple, pun-like modification of an oft heard aphorism, and yet it provides great insight into the work and motivation of Studio Kassa’s founders, Aarushi Kumar and Arpan Patel.
“The word ‘kassa’ means ‘House of two’,”says Aarushi. It is a word play on ‘casa,’ which means house in Spanish, and ‘ka’ which means ‘two’ in an ancient language of the Mayans,” says Aarushi.
At the recent Craftrepeneur exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi, Studio Kassa presented some of their products. “This is our second Craftrepeneur exhibition and it’s quite amazing to see such diversity in one city,” smiles Aarushi.
On the table assigned to them lay a vast array of handcrafted designer items such as leather bags and wallets, jewellery, jackets and shoes. The imagination of the creators shone through items such as Lego-inspired rings and bracelets, and ‘wafer’ bags, made using eco-friendly material that looked like paper but does not tear.
At a time when India is experiencing the prolific output of handcrafted designer goods, Aarushi and Arpan believe that there is nothing else they’d rather be doing. “With our artistic interpretation, each handcrafted piece is a simple story told with a twist,” they say. “The unifying trope in our business is the contemporary use of craftsmanship and knowledge, while still keeping the craft alive.”
They have their own production unit in Rajasthan and engage the services of experienced artisans to make sample patterns and designs. “The challenge for us is pushing the artisans to think beyond their existing traditional techniques. But, we only design what we love. Even when Arpan and I have a disagreement, we know that what we produce is going to be amazing. Our aesthetics are the same, so everything ends up being good in the end,” she says.
Looking at the eclectic array of delicately crafted goods, we ask where they get their inspiration from. “From everyday things,” they insist. “We want to break away from the cookie-cutter mould; in our statement pieces, we use simple, bold, clean lines. Our designs are primarily urban and there is something for everyone. We are minimalistic and rely on unconventional designs.”
The designs carry a certain delicacy to them; they are uncluttered, simple, and elegant. Three years is a relatively short time in the lifespan of a business. We have all come across stories of how founders of famous companies toil away in oblivion for years before they become successful and famous. Studio Kassa’s quick growth in a relatively short time and in a rather competitive industry, is an achievement to be reckoned with. We prod the founders for some nugget of wisdom, but they keep it simple.
“Just two things — hardwork, and a clear understanding of how your work is going to be unique and common.” As clichéd as it sounds, we couldn’t help but agree!