SS18 line Moja Ya Aina (Swahili for ‘one of a kind’).
Our collection is a chronicle of our recent travels to Botswana, South Africa and Kenya, from where we ethically sourced materials like warthog tusks and porcupine quills. We juxtaposed them with jadau and jadtar for a cultural convergence. When I travel, I tend to pick up things from nature; to spin them into something wearable. I felt the warthog tusks give a contemporary look, but I wasn’t too sure about the porcupine quills. I didn’t know if they would hold jewellery together structurally, given that the gold & silver pieces I use are heavy.
But, of course, it all worked out.
One of the show stealers in the collection is the Kutchi Hasli with a Tibetan Buddha pendant, which is inspired by Masai neckpieces. Another favourite is the Peacock Jadau Necklace, a modish allegory of Morakhia’s curiosity for earthier elements such as African batik bones, which are artfully interspersed with vintage silver pendants.Our design experience is very tactile. I sit down, assemble the pieces roughly on my own hand, and see how it works. Visual isn’t enough, it has to be intuitive. No one has used batik bones in this way — layered with gold or silver elements and embellishments like pearls and gold beads.
(Article by The Hindu)