Designer Krishnaa Shyam’s scarves are inspired by the colours and culture of the Chettinad region
Drape yourself in kaavi brown, kum kum red or lentil yellow. Designer Krishnaa Shyam’s scarves aren’t just inspired by Chettinad; they’re soaked in its most distinctive colours.
Designer and illustrator Shyam’s unusual project is currently up on crowd-funding platform, Kickstarter. Once she hits her £6,000 goal, she plans to create a set of limited edition scarves inspired by the sights, sounds and smells of the historic region of Chettinad, Tamil Nadu. The scarves will sell under her ‘Full Circle’ brand, which supports ethically conscious design. And if everything goes according to plan, this will just be the first of a series of products that are both inspired by — and directly support — special places and communities across the world.
Over the phone from Bath, UK, Shyam talks about why she’s so fired up about this project. “The idea was to be inspired by a place and support it in a manner that is meaningful and sustainable,” she says. Hence she has joined forces with the M.RM. RM. Cultural Foundation, which provides training and support to local women artisans in Chettinad. Every scarf will be packaged in a traditional handmade box of Palmyra leaves.“I’m from Chennai and I have always been inspired by folk art,” she says, adding “My grandmother was an artist, and when I was about four years old I would go with her to Kalakshetra, where she was learning painting. By the time I was 10 I was learning traditional Tanjore painting. But I veered away from it and started sketching.”
Pick a scarf
- Mosaic Kaavi Brown Inspired by the mosaic tiles used in old Chettinad houses. Many traditional patterns are driven by simple square repeats, in which floral motifs are hidden. “Kaavi” is the local name for the shade of the fired bricks.
- Mosaic Kumkum Red A deceptively simple pattern dominated by the red kumkum on women’s foreheads. Shyam says it reminds her of hot summer days and her mother who wears it on her forehead everyday.
- Mosaic Lentil Yellow A warm and pleasing yellow inspired by ‘toor’ dal used in dishes like sambar or rasam. An unusual interpretation of the square mosaics, teamed with contrasting hot pink and red shades.
- Palmyra Dark Mauve The abundant palm leaves that will make the basket the scarves are packed in are the inspiration here. The autumnal mauve chosen is reminiscent of long glittering evenings.
- Spice Garden Green Inspired by the spices of Chettinad: cumin, chilli, garlic, saffron, pepper, fennel, green cardamom, black cardamom, aniseed, fenugreek, cinnamon, bay leaf, star anise, clove, ginger and nutmeg. Each drawn on a backdrop of garden green.
After getting married, Shyam moved to Bath where she began creating products with an emphasis on surface design. “It’s all about pattern” she says. “Any surface can have have a pattern added to just bring joy to your life. This can be embroidery, collage or even just a pattern on a handbag that adds oomph.”
She chose to oomph up scarves. “A scarf is universal. It carries my designs beautifully as it is a large surface so the drawing does not have to be constrained.” Memories of visiting temples with her mother in Chettinad inspired the design. “I love Athangudi tiles. And my grandmother loved mosaic: so our home was filled with it. When I began to draw these scarves some were inspired by photographs, but a lot of it was just from memory.” The idea was to create a product that told a story. “When people pick it up I want them to feel there is more to the design than what you see at first glance. I put a lot of thought into the lines, the palette.”
Shyam adds, “What we wear defines who we are.” She adds that she believes design can bring joy. “I hope people feel better when they put on one of these scarves. Each of them is an extension of who I am. I especially enjoyed drawing the spices from memory: the ginger, garlic, elaichi… It brought back such strong, happy memories of home. And I hope it evokes the same feeling in the people who see it, and wear it.”
Kickstarted
The project was launched on Kickstarter on October 16, 2017 and will run till November 15, 2017.
