With Kani Kusruti We all imagine ourselves as light The team at the Palais des Festivals at the 77th Cannes Film Festival
Carrying a watermelon clutch on the Cannes red carpet was an amazing experience. We all imagine ourselves as light Actress Kani Kusruti adopted this way of showing solidarity with Palestine. The slice of watermelon has been a symbol of Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation as it shows the colors of the Palestinian flag. The film won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival 2024.
Kochi-based designer and stylist Diya John, who helped Kani create the look, says the bag, made of green, red and black beads, is a well-thought-out statement from the politically conscious actress.
“We discussed what kind of style she wanted. Kani suggested incorporating an element that would show solidarity with Palestine,” says Dia, who runs the designer label Salt and the store Salt Studio.
Kani had also received offers from labels outside Kerala, but she chose to present a homegrown designer on an international platform. Hence, most of what she wore at Cannes was designed and styled by Diya.
kani kusruti with bag
Though Kani knew what she wanted to do, she was unsure about how to do it. “Any kind of inscription on a garment would be too loud. We wanted it to be poetic, we wanted it to be subtle,” says Diya. They considered ideas like brooches, embroidery and patchwork, but Diya felt these might go unnoticed. After several discussions, the friends zeroed in on using the watermelon slice motif.
She adds, “The conversation stimulated my mind. I thought it would be interesting to incorporate Indian crafts as well.” It took three weeks to create Kani’s clothing for the events – from ideation to execution.
The handmade bead work embroidery on the bag is the work of two Artisan (The artisans) took over 20 hours to make the bag, while it took six hours to make it. The embroidery was done at Diya’s studio, “Initially we made a sample to get an idea of ​​the work. I wanted a 3D effect, which was very easy for me. Artisan were able to translate that onto clothing.”
Diya explains how the bag was made. “We had to make do with whatever material was available, we didn’t have time to buy materials. The embroidery is done on gazi or mashru silk. Then we used boards and fusing to give it structure, otherwise the shape of the bag would not have been right.” She explains that it is not just for show, it is useful and can hold a mobile phone and lipstick.
Diya’s work didn’t end there. She wanted an outfit that would match the clutch as well. So, she chose an off-white dress made of Banarasi silk fabric with gold and silver woven motifs on it. “The Palestinian flag also has white colour, so Kani’s carrying the bag would look great,” says Diya. She further added, “Kani’s white dress will make the bag stand out. Apart from this, off-white colour is also associated with Kerala.”
