In May 2019, we took our journey of introducing brands and people who made magical things, into a permanent market : we opened the BARO MARKET. It became a place always enchanting, where you would always find things to get, to wear, to gift or to play with, from a few hundred rupees onward. Everything always has a story to tell, and every time you visit, you will find something exiting.
145 EAST
The “gamchcha“ a coarse, cotton towel used traditionally in places like Bengal, is almost always in brightly coloured checks and stripes. It has forever belonged to “the people”; used to bathe, to wipe sweat, to wrap around as a lungi or to become the base for carrying loads on your head. Here is where it upped the ante and became a part of very hip fashion; easy-to-wear very cool clothes that are perfect for the climate and just get more and more comfortable with time.
SILAI WALI
The trauma of war can never be underestimated, nor the consequent displacement of refugees. These dolls are incredible in many ways : they are therapy, and bring hope; they unite women the world over because they are dolls of different races, each with their unique dressing styles; they up cycle waste fabric and transform rags; they come intrinsically loaded with incredible stories from the Afghan women war refugees in Delhi who make them...
RASA
Block printing gets more and more threatened as the world looks at quick and cheap alternatives, but here’s an example of how the traditional skills of Rajasthani block printers have been taken to another level, creating designs that are international, high- fashion and never compromise on quality.
ABSYNTHE DESIGN
Truly handcrafted, piece by piece; some pieces waiting for years for matching ones to be found, precision and detail are the hallmark of this incredible work. Vintage watch parts from around the world, classic radios, beetle wings, rare woods: all these find a way to the workshop table and every piece stays one of a kind, impossible to recreate.
DOLON KUNDU
Pinch pottery is the art of moulding clay by literally pinching into shape by hand. Its a craft that is harsh - months of work can be destroyed with a sudden break in the oven or in handling. But here is someone who has pushed all boundaries, taken inspiration from other styles - including Mexican, defied tradition - she is the only woman and has more than 20 women she has trained under her, and been rewarded with the National Award for Handicraft 2019.
PARAMA
Perhaps the best stories on fabric you can find, the source and inspiration for all the intricate designs from the world of art, cinema and literature that wander onto saris, blouses and stoles this brand has to offer - all come from Kolkata, the city Parama has in her blood. From rickshaws to the goddesses to the Howrah Bridge - its all been masterfully transformed into fables that will adorn you.
KOS
Centuries of artisanal values go into the handspun fabrics that these men’s shirts are created from. Its a journey around India as you feel the luxury of ikkat, jamdani and khadi. Only taking these textiles into contemporary clothing will keep the master skills alive
SIENNA
Rural artisans are able to reach a larger metropolitan marketplace via the Sienna chain. Individual artisans and cooperatives from remote villages in Bengal can access the urban public while keeping alive ancient art forms. Traditional pottery, dokra, cane and bamboo, shola and woodwork have all had design intervention to create stunning products that are cutting edge in today’s living.
ASHFAQUE
Dhurries; the flat weave, pileless floor covering that is traditional to every part of India, were a household craft woven for the home, in the home. In the village of Badohi, these are now woven by families to go out beyond their own homes, and for many purposes, from floor coverings to luggage to table covers. Their basic advantages; they are light, easy to maintain and work for all weather, have created a whole new world and a profusion of design alternatives that the weavers love to invent.