Lands of One People
A collection of garments that came into fruition through two menswear designers, who ventured to develop a deeper understanding of their shared heritage and roots, and histories of their ancestral land. The collection symbolises the strengthening of the designers’ identities and sheds light on the Partition of India in 1947.
The garments have been designed and constructed with a close attention to detail, fit and movement, and aim to fulfil the role of long-lasting functional garments to be worn for years to come. Lands of One People was a collaboration with designer Kiren Poonia.
India is a nation of extremes, its often violent political and ethnic sentiments - easily charged and never far from erupting - play off the country’s sombre, thoughtful, contemplative moods. The spectrum of extravagant colours viewed with crisp light in a village or city are contrasted with bleached landscapes and pallor, dust and the impermanence of urban sprawl. India’s disparate millions move one foot cautiously into the modern world, keeping the other firmly stuck in a variety of pasts.
Robert Nicholsberg
Photographs by Guy Longbottom.
Set design by Lera Burmistrova.