Mumbai has been a little cold the last few days. That’s the sum total of our winter. And because winter comes fleetingly here, outdoor events are rare. That’s why Delhi is so much fun this time of the year. There’s a nip in the air, so you can bring out cozy winter fits. And on a winter evening, subtly cold, the promise of chill afoot, journalists, friends and family members gathered at One Aurobindo Marg for the launch of Sher Bagh, a collection from Raw Mango. It’s quite aptly named, there are plenty of animal forms, motifs; nature takes centre stage. The collection is tantalizing, an eclectic mix of a Sanjay Garg’s aesthetic and the values of Sujan’s Anjali Singh. Either way you look at it, this collection weaves a wonderful story, an interplay of nature, design and a shared world. We spoke to Sanjay Garg of Raw Mango, chatting with him as he mingled with guests.
I ask him why he chose to collab with Anjali. “Anjali is an early patron of Raw Mango, she and Jaisal Singh have a family legacy of conservation and protection of wildlife in Rajasthan. We share a similar vision of a world with regards to humans and animals. We wanted to create a conversation about the idea of co-existence and mutual respect between all life forms through the medium of design, which we began working on in 2018,” says Sanjay Garg.
As we all settled down on our seats, hugging our shawls a little closer, the place came alive and the models walked down the runway. There were some squeals of delight from the audience, some when their spotted their favourite animal motif on a saree, others struck at how just wearable this was.
Of course, we wanted to ask what the inspiration was. Sanjay says, ” The perception of wildlife has been human-centric, and one that places humans above all other life forms to serve their own purpose and needs. The resulting impact of this one-sided relationship has caused rapid endangerment and extinction of species worldwide, including in India. This collection serves as my narrative using design and textile to highlight humanity’s relationship with nature and wildlife while raising awareness for India’s critically endangered animal life which was primarily even the inspiration.”
As the evening wound down, the music got upbeat and everyone got together to shake a leg. It was wonderful.
There’s so much more to know about Sanjay Garg’s Raw Mango. Read here.