In a fashionable move to celebrate the timeless beauty of Indian craftsmanship, innovation, accentuating appeal of rustic earthiness, the importance of slowing down and eventually finding beauty in a simpler way of life, Mumbai-based Clove presents ‘Down to Earth’ — a collection of two artisanal labels — Claymen and Lovebirds at its Colaba studio from November 22, 2018. It has been crafted from the Earth, and will go back to it after serving its purpose.
In her selection of earth-rooted designs through this narrative, Clove founder Samyukta Nair says, “Down-to-Earth is an appreciation of simplicity and a welcoming of the wonders of slowing down in a fast-paced world. It is a celebration of being at peace with one’s imperfections and appreciating the beauty of everyday luxury – a construct held dear to our ethos at Clove.”
Claymen’ s products are handcrafted with clay and strike the perfect balance between functionality and dysfunctionality, while being exquisite pieces of art. “Some are functional and are built to perform the task at hand. Others incarnate the dysfunctionality intrinsic to society by hinting at the fragility of the human condition, albeit in a more general sense. These Claymen figure sculptures are meaningful conversation pieces that tend to skip the small talk and get straight to the point; some are motivational, some demand self-reflection and others focus on self-development,” explains Aman Khanna, founder of Claymen.
On the other hand, Lovebirds epitomises the very essence of sustainable fashion in this fast-paced world — replete with native processes and their subsequent impact on our environment. Encompassing a variety of handwoven fabrics such as silks, linens and khadi, the brand’s relaxed and understated silhouettes are a strong reflection of the minimalist and functional approach, that one so often comes across on a day-to-day basis.
“The collection is our way of giving back to the earth by bringing together two artisanal labels — Claymen and Lovebirds. Both these are artisanal brands that share a common understanding, which is a perfect fit for what we had in mind,” says Nair.
The author writes on entertainment and food among other things.