|
Street kids in Gujarat scribble success story
Aussie Creates Award-Winning Brand For Their Designs .............Harit Mehta | TNN
Bholu in Gujarati is often referred to a child lovingly. Down Under, however, the word has acquired a new meaning, thanks to a group of urchins and distressed women from Gujarat.
Renowned Australian designer Jodie Fried’s award-winning brand Bholu has women and children from Kutch and Ahmedabad at its heart. Bholu Pty Ltd sells homewears and books designed in Australia and brought to life by hands of traditional Indian artisans—each piece selling in top boutiques across the world. The products sell in high-end shops in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, California, Dubai, France, Belgium, London and Ahmedabad. Bholu Pty Ltd won Sensis Social Responsibility Award (for demonstrated leadership and contribution by a business to the environment, people, education or the community) in the Telstra NSW Business Awards 2008 and was a finalist in the Micro Business Telstra Business Award in 2008. “During my performing arts residency in India, I went for relief work to a Kutch village with NGO Manav Sadhna following the 2001 earthquake. Here, I was inspired by the women, whose beautiful traditional embroidery adorned their own daily clothes and home wares. I thought immediately, I have to do something with this,” said Fried. A few years later, Fried came back with some designs and fabric, and gave the samples to village women to see what would happen. “The women laughed at the lack of sophistication of my designs and thought that their ‘Bholus’ (children) could do better,” Fried told TOI. About 500 women in Ahmedabad and Patan now get part of the profits from the Bholu business. The label was named by the women and the designs are child-like. “Exactly the look I wanted to achieve. I wanted to bring a sense of naivety and playfulness,” she said. Since then, Fried has ventured into many poor Ahmedabad slums, pre-schools and street corners to hold drawing workshops for children to find the perfect Bholu design. “All designs are drawings of children. I end up getting the most amazing animal drawings and divine creatures only a child could imagine,” said Fried, who has taught at NIFT-Gandinagar. A girl’s scribbling (above left) has been turned into cushion covers that sell in the top boutiques across the world under the brand, Bholu (child). Renowned Australian designer Jodie Fried (left) began the enterprise after she was impressed with the designs rustled up by urchins and women in Kutch and Ahmedabad while helping an NGO during the 2001 quake. Now, about 500 women in Ahmedabad and Patan get part of the profits from the venture
|
