FASHION POLICE! How minimalist designer Rina Singh’s EKÁ is a whimsical and poetic ode to Indian craft and design

Minimalist clothier Rina Singh brings collectively artisanal expertise from across India, collaboratively reviving architectural tactics that are slowly vanishing.  She needed to secure a timeless space that respects extinct craftsmanship, connects deeply with Indian heritage, and represents EKÁ’s aloof class.

EKÁ, a textile-led contemporary kind studio by minimalist clothier Rina Singh within the heritage precinct of Kala Ghoda, Mumbai is a reflection of gorgeous craftsmanship and sustainable vogue. This critical milestone echoes the logo’s unwavering commitment to timeless kind, sustainability, and the profound artistry of Indian craftsmanship, marking just about a decade and a half of of EKÁ’s rush. A dialog with the founder of the designate EKÁ all around the only within the near previous held Lakmē Sort Week x FDCI, minimalist clothier talks about Indian craft and more.

Celebrating craftsmanship and heritage

It’s a welcoming, minimalistic expression of her kind philosophy, thoughtfully balancing nostalgia and trendy aesthetics. Moral love her assortment, the newly opened Kala Ghoda flagship store captures this very essence, crafted sustainably and respectfully, developing a aloof yarn of Indian excellence

The only real within the near previous opened EKÁ store’s interiors showcases a harmonious mix of reclaimed wood textures towards crisp white limewashed walls, juxtaposed with antique items thoughtfully curated from Southeast Asia, including Sri Lanka. The dramatic roof, created graphically with a quantity of of one-scamper wood items, extra elevates the expertise, illustrating EKÁ’s meticulous attention to ingredient.

Speaking about vogue Vs type, Rina Singh says, “I definitely have viewed that vogue has become far more inclusive as when in contrast to what it used to be ten years support. I'm seeing vogue which is doing sculptural kind, ready to set on and styles that are doing sustainable outfits. Sort is much approachable and accessible now as when in contrast to what it used to be years support. There could be a local for folks love us who're dedicated to doing textiles. It’s a extremely various field and youngsters are in actuality pushing the boundary.”

When tradition meets sustainability

Her assortment has always been about tradition and sustainability. Be it her assortment or the arrangement she has accomplished up her store, it is far indeed an embodiment of Rina Singh’s deep-rooted belief in sustainable practices and circularity in kind. Rina explains, “The foundation of having a physical space shining love building a dwelling, EKA can't be shining understood by clothes itself. The total universe has to communicate as to where the theory that is coming from. EKA at the same time as a arrangement designate is terribly textile oriented. We work a lot with Indian textiles and exhaust a quantity of textile tactics as neatly and contemporise them and modernise them, develop them more wearable for the world audience. I felt while doing up the store that it may most likely also describe that ideology love who's the clothier?”

The materials, textures, and colours chosen for the store evoke nostalgia, balanced by in type minimalism and in type appeal. Veteran Indian handcrafted architectural tactics equivalent to lime washed walls, Kadappa stone ground, handmade terracotta tiles, Bajra glass, and concrete evoke memories of traditional Indian properties while presenting a distinctly contemporary swish.

Believing in Indian kind aesthetics

If that space is for Indian designs, then also the architecture has to be Indian. Rina provides, “We did realizing at a quantity of Indian craft led architecture. As an illustration, limestone for the wall, terracotta tiles for the bottom, the usage of a quantity of mature wood and refurbishing it, collecting a quantity of Indian antic artworks and the usage of it as tune devices. We fully imagine within the Indian kind aesthetics. And I don’t mediate now we have pushed it ample to the field and whatever now we have we have stereotyped it. so kind of setting up a universe for that used to be critical.”

Cutting again  carbon footprints

Sustainability sits at the heart of her kind. Wood has been consciously reclaimed and repurposed, resonating with EKÁ’s philosophy of reusing and reinterpreting materials. The deliberate selection of brass, iron, stone, and clay extra highlights EKÁ’s sustainable commitment, developing a warm, bright space.

Further talking about sustainable vogue, Rina extra explains, “In case you realizing at your total ecosystem of Indian kind, I mediate the entirety used to be supposed to be sustainable, nothing, neither in architecture, nor in meals, nor in clothes, vogue. In case you realizing at her extinct cooking too, it’s behind cooked and behind made that nothing used to be supposed for instantaneous consumption and fast extinguish. We weren’t developing extinguish largely as a country ever in our ancient previous. So if we best carry forward about a of the principles of what's India kind, I mediate this may occasionally lead us into sustainable kind at the least.”

Mutter ‘NO’ to hasty vogue

When it involves textile kind there is a total library that Rina explores, for instance, block printing or weaving, or Jamdani, these are so dexterous and time drinking, there is never any arrangement I’m going to develop hasty vogue clothes out of it. Her clothes aren’t low impress and that's for a reason too. “You shining aquire issues that you just don’t need, best due to it is far moderately priced. But when I mediate the associated price impress is correct, I’m now now not announcing costly or whatever, you then become a conscious client.” A portion of textile desires to be passed on as heirlooms to the family from one era to one other.