It’s unusual for the world to be kind to artists trying to stand up on their own two feet at the beginnings of their careers. And when an eco-system is that challenging, it’s even more unusual to find artists helping one another get ahead. It is for these reasons, amongst many, that The Design Collective emerges as a shining example of just how powerful collaboration can be within the independent design community. Started by a core group of 5 design brands, including KICHU,
CORD, Anuj Bhutani and Anomaly, this is a non-profit organisation that encourages the idea of being contemporaries, not competition. It provides a space for artists to display their work directly to consumers, cutting out any intermediaries in the guise of event managers or exhibition curators. With their first Mumbai event just around the corner, HG caught up with the core team to get an idea of what the collective stands for, how it functions and what it has in store for the future.
“As independent designers we felt that instead of being competitors, we can combine our efforts and help each other grow. We would like to treat each other as contemporaries rather than competition. We are young, but talented designers whose work is already appreciated. Each one of us have resources that are unique to oneself, and there is no hesitancy in sharing them with each other.” Any designer knows how valuable these lessons are, and how much further they can go with their own art with just a little bit of guidance.
So what’s different about this collective, you ask? E
very person involved in The Design Collective is a designer themselves, with an inherent sensitivity directed towards curation and the organization the event. “Every participating brand is conscious about the efforts that go into the making of the event and costs and efforts and equally divided while transparency is maintained. This also allows a sort of a free form group where any member can take the initiative of organising an event and we in turn can support the cause,” they tell us.
The Design Collective is not just a playing field for designers and consumers, but a movement to bring the contemporary community of artists together. As for the path ahead, “We want to move forward from the cognition of India being a handicraft producer and that India today can contribute alongside the contemporary visionaries on a global level. The idea is to push smaller independent brands that are doing the best in the contemporary design and to provide a support system as a collaborative.” The idea is to create a community of visionaries with design at the core, rather than just another event management company. As far as advice for all the budding designers out there, the Collective says “Your work will speak for yourself and there is always an opportunity to collaborate.”
The Design Collective is coming to Mumbai for the first time, and you can expect to find Safomasi, CORD, Ayca, Mogachea, NorBlack NorWhite, Objectry and a host of others at this edition of the collective.
The Design Collective is being hosted by The Vintage Garden on the 3rs and 4th of December. Click on the banner below for all the event details