Heritage-design festival to open in Delhi

(life) Celebrating the inherited craft heritage of India, an upcoming two-day festival will present traditional craft and contemporary design under one roof.

InHerit, a premier festival will take place in Delhi's Sunder Nursery Heritage Park from December 7-8, with a spotlight on heritage craft and contemporary design.

The festival, encompassing craft, design, fashion, lifestyle and heritage tourism, is produced by Teamwork Arts, in collaboration with the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and in association with the Embassy of the Czech Republic.

As per the organisers, it will host over 100 hand-picked exhibitors, including master craftsmen, fashion retailers, exporters, women entrepreneurs and retailers of languishing crafts from the opulent treasure trunk of craft-rich India.

It will showcase timeless classics by Padmashree awardees, vintage textiles, heirloom sarees, edgy, contemporary fashion, innovative home decor and furniture, objet d'arts and artisanal craft.

In the crafts segment, those participating are award winning master craftsmen like Rahul Salvi, a 7th generation weaver of Patan Patola sarees; UNESCO awardee Abdul Kadar Khatri, world-renowned for his collection of ajrakh block printed textile; Padmashree Tayeb Khan, a master creator of some of the finest leheriyas, handcrafted shaded mukaish chiffon sarees, vibrant dupattas and scarves; National Award winner Vankar Vishram Valji, a master of natural dyeing and weaving; and Umar Faruk Khatri, known for contemporary bandhanis that reflect his artistic sentiment, while keeping the legacy of the craft intact.

The festival will also focus on the handlooms and handicrafts of Madhya Pradesh and sustainable heritage tourism.

Sharing the platform, will be top designers from FDCI, including Abraham & Thakore, AM: PM, Payal Jain, Ikai by Ragini Ahuja, among others.

"InHerit is taking your legacy and then ingeniously blending it with other forward-thinking nuances. That is what we will attempt to do in our showcase through the designers' presentation. We are happy to be part of this B2C the first for FDCI unique shopping experience that hopes to amalgamate fashion, craft and heritage," FDCI Chairman Sunil Sethi said.

Promising to be a feast of delicious food and enthralling cultural performances in a joyous carnival setting, InHerit offers a celebration of heritage and design in the capital.

( With inputs from IANS )