Shivan & Narresh

FRESCONIAN SERIES

Swim | Resort | Cruise | Safari | Ski

NEW DELHI, March 26, 2022 – This year, SHIVAN & NARRESH, India’s first luxury holiday brand reimagines the visual splendor of Shekhawati Havelis in Rajasthan, painting to life India’s opulent history and evolution through the modern lens of art and design. The inspiration is drawn not from the work of an individual, but rather one in which the genius of the collective has coalesced.

An unexpected visit to the Shekhawati region in November 2021 germinated the design process, with the designers mapping the treasured artistry of traditional fresco murals that decorate innumerable Havelis spread across the native region. Picking up a much-loved medium of water & oil colors, the artistic language revolved around contemporizing these fresco aesthetics.

Shekhawati continues to live today for its rich embellished mansions that were built by ancient Marwari traders, on the Silk Route, long before the British colonization and offer a cameo of the life and times of the people who lived there and their perception of the world. The frescoes articulate an evocative narration of the culture, history and experiences that were conquered – be it an aero plane or the first mechanical car invention, or even the geo political expression of the British conquest of India – all hand-painted and archived on the walls of these ancient manors. The contemporarisation of these mural musings and their new-age relevance in documenting and eternalizing the Shekhawati history and the lives of the people at that time enamors and inspires a modern canvas for the Fresconian Series.

Borrowing from this classic painterly quality of fresco murals that lace the walls of the Shekhawati region, a potpourri of powerful elements are visualized and reinterpreted across 5 hand-painted prints for the season – namely, Surocco (Safari), LedgerMash (Ski), Zoolostamp (Cruise), Solscape (Swim) and Maru (Resort). Each print pays an ode to the artist as well as the artisans, exuding joy and creativity through poetic blends of shimmering skein luster and meticulous detailing. Spread across 50 exquisite ensembles for men and women, a plethora of hand-techniques such as hand knitting, crochet, hand-machine embroidery and shuttle needle-lace technique hero the intricacy of each garment. From structure to silhouette, punctuating looks in quilted puffer textures, crystal mesh, chain mail fabric, pure cotton, silk & linen, linen & silk jerseys and delicate knits are melded in layers of sensuality and 3D motifs of key inspiration.

Surocco (Safari) is an abstract interpretation and representation of the signature Cacti motif spread across a pristine white surface. The inspiration was derived from the iconic Cactus Plant, widely found across the entire Shekhawati region that instantly captured the designers’ attention while bicycling through the by-lanes of the native city. LedgerMash (Ski) reinterprets the revival of the brand’s archival print: Leger Leisure that has been deconstructed and rearranged in the traditional form of the nineties collage artwork. The print is an ode to the playful process of design and creativity at a time when developing a print via technology was obsolete, and appreciates human creation where the skill in its entirety is limited to handwork, much like the fresco murals that build its core inspiration. Zoolostamp (Cruise) visualizes an abstract amalgamation of multiple textures in the form of hand-painted blocks against the deep rich noir. Distinctive elements of animal print, bandhani print, intricate textures that are a result of time- honored hand dyeing or wax dipping techniques integral to the local craft and culture of the rustic region have been reimagined using ink and bleach – a painting technique that is contemporary and relevant to the current times. Lastly, both – Solscape (Swim) & Maru (Resort) lend a window to the majestic scenery and rose-tinted skies of Rajasthan, exemplifying its natural wilderness and vibrancy. The prints serve as a unique rendition of kaleidoscopic landscapes witnessed in the frescoes of Shekhawati Havelis – one glorifying the golden dunes of the big blue city while the other is a whimsical dedication to the bewitching sunsets and leisurely evenings of the region.

Each print thus, aims at revolutionizing the ever-evolving definition of beauty in the present society through an evocative interplay of valiant cuts and color that explore the relationship between body and clothing, with respect to sensuality.

Speaking on the vision behind the collection, Narresh Kukreja, Creative Director, SHIVAN & NARRESH, said, ‘This has been a very exciting project for me as I got to enjoy my personal love for painting, to not only conceptualize but also document our own hand-painted renditions of contemporary frescoes, symbolic of the zeitgeist of the current times. We have always celebrated the changing perceptions of feminism and femininity and with this collection; we once again, dive deeper into questioning and redefining the perception of sensuality and its relation to clothing in particular. Like the fresco murals documented the culture on the Haveli walls for generations, I often feel that clothing does the same for our times – this is the core value of this series. Each print has been etched with layers of emotion and identity that fanaticize the relation between the skin and silhouette to introduce to the world a renewed perception of sensuality”.

“This year, we combine our passion for art and storytelling to design a narrative that has been engraved for generations on the walls of history. SHIVAN & NARRESH has always been about looking ahead and our idea around the frescoes was to evolve the art form into a futuristic version of itself – add the painterly quality while glorifying lifestyles of today. A minute look into the frescos in the collection will mirror different personalities within the same and also reflect the emotion of the person wearing it”, said Shivan Bhatiya, Head Designer, SHIVAN & NARRESH.