Perfection under your feet
The last time I had a leisurely chat with couturier Tarun Tahiliani was in 2014. It was the launch of Ancestry antiques gallery at his couture studio in Chhattarpur, Delhi. The same year, Tahiliani was deeply involved in desigining carpets for Obeetee, one of the oldest manufacturers of hand-knotted and hand-tufted rugs. What took it so long to launch, we ask. In response, he guides us around the main hall of Bikaner House, where the carpets are tucked onto the walls in an art gallery-esque style.
“In fashion, we talk about wearable art. These rugs are work of art under your feet, literally,” Tahiliani says. Art, we couldn’t agree more, takes its own sweet time to evolve. “Do not give me the credit. It was a team effort,” he adds.
Inspired by Tahiliani’s designs, textile sensibilities and his abstract paintings, each of the 72 pieces carry his strong handwriting: impeccable surface texturing, muted tones in pastel pink, blue, burgandy and off-white, and his signature off-centred motifs. “There was a lot of back and forth. After we have discussed the designs, swatches were made at Obeetee’s Mirzapur unit. Until Tahiliani was 100 per cent satisfied with what we presented, we would repeat the process to translate the original embroidery or textile inspiration on to the rugs,” Anu Gupta, Chief Creative Officer, Obeetee says.
It was no mean feat to create these masterpieces, even for old hands with decades of experience. Three weavers would create 150 cm knots per square inch in a day, followed by weeks of washing and sun-drying, taking them months to finish one carpet. The rugs, divided into three distinct design structures—Antique Frames, Chikankari, and Abstract Art—are hand-knotted in silk and imported wool. Unique in pattern, colour and texture, the carpets are a witness to many firsts—painted borders reminiscent of Mughal miniature paintings, chikankari for surface texturing, zari work, motifs such as kairi booti, jaal and lotus and rose patterns.
The rugs from the Abstract Art line are based on the canvases painted by Tahiliani himself. “It was extremely difficult to replicate the exact colours,” Gupta says. For the chikankari pieces, Tahiliani’s embroidery artists trained the rug weavers.
The limited edition rugs, priced at Rs 5 lakh and above, are available at Obeetee stores, Tahiliani’s couture studio and select stores in the US. His designs are the first in the India-inspired rug series that Obeetee has rolled out.
Next in line are designers Raghavendra Rathore and Abraham & Thakore. “This is the right time. Over the last decade, India has become the largest manufacturer of carpets, and yet the designs have never been truly Indian. Until now, we have had Indo-Chinese, Indo-Persian or Indo-Nepalese,” Rudra Chatterjee, Chairman, Obeetee says. It is time to break out of the shadow and show true Indian colours.