Last Sunday, 100 elephants entered the palm-interested streets of Beverly Hills, home for many Hollywood stars. No one returned to fear, however – because big animals were aggressively handicapped by aggressively Lantana camera Traveled on trucks decorated with plant, and lively Indian lorry art.
This was the last leg Great elephant stayThe establishment of a 5,000 miles across the United States through cities, national parks and tribal land supported by more than 20 protection organizations. Life -shaped Paciderum was wrapped in a formal blanket created by 55 famous designers and indigenous communities around the world.
Elephant statues in Beverly Hills. Photo Credit: AFP
On Grand Trunk Road
The story began decades ago when Mark Shand, writer, protectionist and brother of Queen Camilla of Britain experienced emotional bond between elephants and people in India. He adopted an Asian elephant named Tara in 1988, covered a distance of 600 miles with him across the country, and later established a non-profit elephant family in 2002, leading him until his death in 2016. His legacy continues through cultural protectionist Ruth Ganesh, family principal trustee and real elephant contraction work, two colleges often collaborate on projects, such as MigrationTo raise funds to restore co -existence between people and elephants.
Great elephant stay Traveling Public Art Show | Photo Credit: Ronnie Dai
The collective is a permanent, community -owned enterprise that appoints 200 indigenous artisans from the Nilagiri Biosphere Reserve. In five years, the craftsmen have repeated 160 elephants – the identity and name of all – each piece is a sculpture resonance of a living animal.
In the last two years, The Herd appeared in the showcase of designer Anita Dongre at the City Palace in support of the Nature Conservation Foundation and the 25th anniversary of designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee at the exhibition of the performances at NMACC in this January in Sabyasachi Mukherjee.
In the US, elephants have traveled from Newport to Los Angeles through Blackfate Nation in New York, Miami Beach and Montana. The artisans joined the convoy in the final 1,000 miles legs. And the culmination is Wrapped in historyThe product is being auctioned on Arts (till 1 August), a series of formal blankets cuisted by designer Vikram Goyal.
Behind lantana
One of the four founding members of Real Elephant Collective, Tars, tired, grew up in Nilgiris. He took shape by two forces that he saw daily around him: the aggressive spread of elephants and lantana. In a human-handicular conversation, a conservationist and researcher with PhD from Oxford, he first consulted for the elephant family and proposed the idea of using the wood of the aggressive plant for the manufacture of elephant-sized elephant sculptures around this time. (Earlier versions used ingredients like fiberglass.) His wife, a theater production designer of Cardiff, Shubra Nair helped model the sculptures. Each elephant is based on a real animal from coffee and tea gardens around its house. The Lantana herd has also found a royal residence at King Charles III’s private house Hi Grove House.
Bulls, cows and calves were shaped with physical precision photo credits: Ronnie Dai
Living monument
The idea for Bespoke blankets was born in All Night Smoke, a program organized by his fellow indigenous LED. Recalling Ganesh, “I had a powerful appearance of the blanket.” “The members of the community explained that they are symbolic – to mark the end of some meaningful, or as a gesture of respect.”
This feeling echoes by Goyal, the first curator of the elephant family. “Blankets hold cultural weight in indigenous communities globally,” they say. “They indicate security, memory, related.” Ganesh worked with Goyal during the Elephant Parade in Mumbai in 2018, and planted him to cure the series. “They have a rare ability to bridge Indian craftsmanship with global aesthetics.”
Vikram Goyal and Ruth Ganesh
Goyal, whose Vikram Goyal Studio collaborates with the master artisans, brings the touch of a designer to the project, in metalwork. Draws his blanket A book of dreamsHis own Repousé artwork – is inspired by a nominated manuscript such as characteristic of mythological animals Gajasimha (Half-Lion, Half-Elphant) and Black Geese, which symbolize fertility, prosperity and security.
The blanket includes small labels such as Sabyasachi, Elli Saab, Ralph Lauren, Danene Vauan Fursenberg, Tarun Tahiliani, Raw Mango, Ozwald Boteng, and Lovebirds and Dhruv Kapoor. Indigenous representation comes from communities, including Nawajo nation, Masai, Snowvalmi and Soliga and Betta Kurumba tribes of India.
“In Chikya, we believe that the task of making is also a task of listening – for nature, for memory, and for each other. Balance is our offering for great elephant migration, is a formal blanket that is made in honor of maternal, which is the wise and guide force of the herd. Ko a calm architect of the forest and as a symbol of co -existence.Karishma SwaliFounder and Chairperson, Current School of Craft
Clablet by Chanakya School of Craft | Photo Credit: Ronnie Dai
Kantha, Gara and Flemco
Zardoji, Himru, AzarkhPatchwork – Many Indian crafts find their right place between weaving. A creative platform in standout pieces is a design of Hirloom Naga that supports Loen-Loom weaving. Founder-designer Jasmina Zeliang, who live near elephant corridors in the northeast of India, was inspired ThupikhuOr elephant cloth, a garment worn by men – a competent feast worn in Nagaland, in Nagaland. Woven on Loen Karghe, it is vivid and symbolically rich. “Elephant’s motifs indicated not only the strength of the wearer but also its community height,” Zeliang tells me.
Blanket by Hirloom Naga | Photo Credit: Ronnie Dai
Textile designer Ashdin Lilaowala contributes Bridge continent. Their piece attracts from the Spanish Flemenko shawls, which are dear to the old Parsi homes, where they are often used to cover the gorgeous piano. His blanket mixes embroidered birds and floral patterns from Parsi Garage Vocabulary with flameco-style tasles.
Blanket by Ashdeen Lilaowala | Photo Credit: Ronnie Dai
Meanwhile, an active textile collection led by Bonvars Studio Resource Center, Darshan Shah was inspired by an old Oxfam calendar. Nakshi kanthaA type of embroidered quilt, as well as applique, batik and cotton Scatter layer. “Center [of the blanket] There is a world of dreaming – elephants, tigers, passages, and hand -ripped lips in the hands. But true magic is in marginalized. You will see women caught in the work of middle-service, creation. This is one Kantha About women Kantha,
Blanket by weavers studio resource center | Photo Credit: Ronnie Dai
Tilt on memory
Designer Masaba Gupta made a calf-shaped blanket inspired by his newborn daughter, Panchantant Legends and personal symbols from his brand trip. Fans will recognize candy, hands and sweets. Ritu Kumar, who collaborated with his entrepreneur son Amrit on his Paisley-Rich blanket, says: “After studying the royal archives for my book Royal India’s costumes and textilesI found trapping in the palace warehouses – which was used to wrap elephants for formal opportunities – prepared with intensive embroidery and handwork. Amrit rebuilt the 16th -17th century memory of the Royal Parade for this design. ,
Blanket by Masaba Gupta | Photo Credit: Ronnie Dai
Blanket by Ritu Kumar | Photo Credit: Ronnie Dai
What started as a herd of lantana elephants now now carries a heavy load – stories of land, memory and shared futures. Migration may end here, but the message continues. Ganesh says, “Once the elephant tusks are strong on you,” Ganesh says, “it doesn’t let it go.”
The author is a Mumbai -based fashion stylist.
