CHINAR FAROOQUI IS A TEXTILE AND CLOTHING DESIGNER BASED IN JAIPUR, INDIA, WHERE SHE WORKS OUT OF HER OWN STUDIO. HER PASSION LIES IN STUDYING TRADITIONAL TEXTILES AND UNRAVELLING THE STORIES BEHIND THE MAKING OF A GARMENT. INSPIRED BY ANTIQUE AND SIMPLE ATTIRE, INJIRI WAS BORN OUT OF THESE PASSIONS.
Here she is in conversation with our founder, Carole Bamford on their shared passion for supporting artisan skills to ensure they survive into the future.
A conversation between Chinar Farooqui, Injiri and our founder Carole Bamford
WHAT DRAWS YOU TO INDIAN TEXTILES?
Their beauty – the colours and feel of the fabrics are unique, intricate and delicate and I am in awe of the work behind their creation. But I also value the sense of heritage and history they carry. Indian handicraft skills are some of the oldest in the world and those traditions and the responsibility to protect them and see them continue is something that moves me when I look at the textiles.
HOW LONG IS YOUR ASSOCIATION WITH INDIA?
I have been travelling to India for over 40 years. I am captivated by its people, its vibrancy, its crafts and its colours, and the country has been a constant and unwavering source of inspiration for me.
WHAT IS THE ESSENCE OF THE INJIRI AND BAMFORD COLLABORATION?
It is a celebration of the work of the hand. Craftsmanship and the need to support its artisan skills have been at the heart of the Bamford philosophy since we founded the brand, and they are also values that are central to the work and pieces that Injiri create. Our collaboration unites these beliefs. It is an opportunity to showcase our shared love of the extraordinary talents and work of the designers and artisans behind these exquisite Indian crafts.
WE WOULD LIKE YOUR VIEWS ON YOUR MOST FAVOURITE INDIAN TEXTILE TECHNIQUE?
If I have to choose one, it would be block printing. I respect and value the slowness of the process – the time it takes to carve the blocks, the fact that each stamp in the pattern is marked by hand, and the tiny imperfections that arise because of this. You can see the emotion and the skill that have gone into creating the textile and that’s a quality I admire and feel should be cherished.
WHAT IS IMPORTANCE OF SLOW AND HAND-MADE IN TODAY'S WORLD?
I have always believed they are the only way we should be producing garments. Fashion is one of the world’s most polluting industries and the concept of fast fashion and the hundreds of items it produces is simply not sustainable for the earth. Slowing everything down and creating garments consciously and thoughtfully immediately generates less waste, reduces pollution, uses less energy and ensures that the working conditions for the worker's producers are safe and fair. Slowness and traditional hand skills have been the starting point when designing our garments since we first started making clothing; they are at the heart of everything we do.
THE ARTISTRY OF INDIA
Season after season, we are privileged to collaborate with Injiri, a clothing and homeware label founded by Chinar Farooqui. Meaning ‘real India’, Injiri’s creations are guided by Farooqui’s intuition with the aim of creating a body of work that explores handwoven and handmade textiles from India and beyond. Central to that work are India’s extraordinary handwoven fabrics which are specific to the region in which they are grown and spun, producing a variety of styles, colours and textures.