Fabrics from India have historically been far more than just fabrics. They were sold in Europe, traded for spices in South-East Asia, powered the Industrial Revolution, became the symbol of India’s struggle for Independence and the economic basis of an interwoven modern world. There is a story here, and it is fascinating when a furnishing brand tells the tale.
In 1664, the French East India Company brought the first of the colourfully printed cotton cloths known as indiennes, from India into France. These printed cotton fabrics were so popular that the word indiennes entered the French language, referring not only to the cloth but to garments made from it.Moliere in his book, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, describes Monsieur Jourdain as being dressed in the latest fashion with “... une écharpe de toile peinte a l’indienne,” a printed cotton scarf from India, forerunners of Hermes scarves.Toile Indienne joins this yarn of human history, telling stories through collections of furnishing and wallpaper.
Founded in 2017 by Akila Seshasayee and Pankaj Kehr, Toile Indienne is an award-winning company and has won the Lexus Design Award for Textile design in 2018, the Elle Décor Design Awards for best in fabrics in 2019, and the Elle Décor Design Awards for Wall finishes and Coverings in 2020. Inspired by the romance of history, crafts and legends, what sets this brand apart is the way it discovers a theme and its potential: from an understanding of the socio-economic, cultural and design history of the subject.
For instance, let’s look at the Love & War Collection, which is an animated re-imagination of the thrilling swayamvara of Draupadi. Painstakingly illustrated, based on hundreds of historical references, the design is rendered in Mughal miniature style as homage to Emperor Akbar, who commissioned the profusely illustrated translation of the beloved Indian epic—the Mahabharata—into Persian, called the ‘Razmnama’ or ‘Book of Love and War’. Each character adds to the dramatic tension of this set piece, while the fresh and romantic colours express the excitement of love and celebration.
The brand prints to order on pure, high-quality cotton, cotton linen and linen, using sustainable manufacturing processes such as non-toxic certified dyes. Besides, printing to order ensures minimal waste ending up in landfills.The upholstery fabrics are tested as per the Martindale Rub test which is a measure of the durability and suitability of a fabric for various uses—that is frequently used for sofas, decorative accent chairs or commercial heavy-duty use.
India has several design houses in the home decor space, and many do lovely work, but what is special about Toile Indienne is its rootedness in history and culture. The prints come to life after a meticulous process of research and documentation and thus go beyond mere surface decoration. The company sees its work as a means to document, comment, record, disseminate and celebrate our shared Indian heritage, not as passing fancies but things to treasure because of the stories they contain.
India has a long tradition of pithy kahaavats or idioms. The Kahavat Collection is based on sayings and idioms plucked from different regions and tongues of India. The diversity of languages makes the idioms fascinating, because of their sharp wit and local flavour. Tamils often describe what they consider an impossible task with the phrase “You can’t put butter on a crane’s head.” Cranes are notoriously difficult to catch; attempting to put a pat of butter on the head of one is a task of even greater magnitude. A life lesson that makes for an involuntary chuckle.
The writer is a well-known curator of craft-based luxury, and writes and speaks on craft and culture with their connection to history