Designers can guide - Richa Agarwal

AS we all know India is a land rich and well known for its crafts. But today we can find people only appreciating the crafts but hardly do we find people shelling out money or rather shelling out large amount of money for a piece of craft. We will go to a Levis store and without hesitation pay the print rate on the tag without even making an effort to bargain but when it comes to buying a piece of craft from a roadside vendor we indulge into bargaining like hell and either buy it for a lesser price or if the seller does not agree we do not buy it at all.

This kind of discrimination and many other factors have made the craftsmen run out of money. Which in turn leads their successors to not follow the craft and leads the craft to a process of extinction. This situation call for a wake up alarm in the society to help the craft. So what can we as designers do in saving and promoting our very own crafts?

I think that today the market not just has consumers but fashion consumers. These people want to remain in tune with the times so they cannot continue to buy a zardozi saree for lifelong they will but it for 1,2,3 say maximum 5 years thereafter they will buy it but in a different form, as a different product or the same product (saree) but a different look.

As a designer we understand the trends, the latest technology and we can use this knowledge for the craft to give it the desired and deserved demand and appreciation.

Lets take an example of the Sindura ( Sindoor container made of lacquered wood in Varanasi) people buy it during marriages due to cultural reasons but how do you make people buy it In the non marriage season. This is where designers come in to rescue, we can make the sindura into a piece of decorative article or a multipurpose product which people would prefer to buy anytime and every time.

Also designers understand the trends so they can guide craftsmen to use specific colors, specific forms and motifs in a particular season. They can also guide people to use alternative materials to make the product better as per the demands of present day consumer and also sometimes help in bringing down the cost of the product. In Some places designers can use their technical know how by suggesting them specific machines that can help in saving time, faster production and reducing cost.

Designers can also sell some craftsperson’s pieces under their own individual brands, showrooms or collaborate with other brands and showrooms to sell their pieces so the craftsmen can generate more money and a larger audience and clientèle for their craft.

So the need of the hour is that if want our crafts to live and stay longer we need to convert each piece into such a wonderful piece of design which has a mass-appeal and as well has a mass-approach so that everyone is aware of its presence, everyone wants it and every one can have it.

So in the end I would like to say that I feel that with the designer’s around our crafts have a very bright future provided the designer’s are ready to take responsibility of their upliftment and recognition and are determined to work towards it with full devotion.