Makers: Charmi Bhadra, textile designer

Written by Payal Khandelwal

“At the end of the day, everyone wants to come back home and be completely at peace. You just want to be your authentic self as this truly is your space.” - Charmi Bhadra

There is a profound sense of calm that wafts through when you look at Charmi Bhadra’s textile works. And once you talk to her more, you realise that it’s a direct reflection of her personality and experiences. Charmi is an independent textile designer who has worked with various brands including Lotus Veda, Love The World Today, Studio Myasaa, Kilchu, Upasana Auroville, Mason & Mill, among others. We talked to her on a video call while she was visiting her sister in Canada. Here are some excerpts from the lovely conversation we had with her.

Charmi’s love for textiles

“My textile story goes back to my childhood. My grandmother made those patchwork quilts by hand. We always had those around us at home, I still have one. My mother was into collecting all kinds of beautifully crafted saris. And Kutch being my native place, I was introduced to textile design quite early in life. We would often go to the villages there and see the artisans weaving various textiles.”

When Charmi had to decide what she wanted to pursue in terms of education, there were many creative options to consider, but textile design per se wasn’t such a known or popular option. However, her deep love for textiles led her to collate more information on the subject, and she finally landed into National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFT) where she pursued a Bachelor of Textile Design degree.

She then went on to do an internship with textile designer Uma Prajapati who runs the brand Upasana Auroville, a conscious clothing venture. She designed 3D bags and accessories for them, and worked closely with the women artisans in Auroville village who did the production of those pieces.

Auroville - a life changing experience

“Working in Auroville was a very creative experience for me. The way of life there was so unique and slow. Having lived in hectic cities before that, I found living there incredibly peaceful. My sleep time, for example, automatically changed to 10 pm to 6 am. I would just naturally be wide awake at 6 am every morning! It was wonderful to see the early morning scenes including people doing yoga religiously.”

When I ask her about what she learnt from her experiences with the artisans there, she says, “There were those little moments where I would sit with them, sipping chai, just chatting. Everyone there likes to sit together during their breaks, despite working on different floors. They knew how to carve their own dedicated, peaceful time. They enjoyed their free time as much as they enjoyed the work. They truly considered the space as their home.

“And there was a strong sense of community. Every occasion - big or small - was meaningful for them and something to be celebrated. In terms of work, they were so particular, they would not let even the smallest of mistakes go - if it’s not perfect, it needs to be redone. It was their own work philosophy, nobody really needed to supervise them. So yes, I have learnt a lot from them.”

Collaborations - Slow & Sustainable

The Auroville experience also made Charmi realise that she wanted to travel around the country, work closely with artisans, and be actively involved in developing textiles. She also wanted the freedom to approach different textiles in her own way and learn new things.

The idea of working with slow, sustainable brands also goes back to the differences between her internship experiences with a corporate design house and at Upasana Auroville. At this digital print company she interned with, she “did not enjoy working in a closed cubicle at all.” Apart from her design team there, she barely got to interact with anyone and therefore, often did not feel inspired. And at Auroville, it was the opposite. Everything was done slowly and with a closed-knit team, and that changed her perspective completely. “It really was a turning point for me. I knew that these are the kind of brands I want to work with - those who have the same ideology as me because this is what helps me design better for them.”

And that’s exactly what she did. She went onto working with various like-minded folks. For example, Lotus Veda is one of the brands for which she has done textile and product design. The brand is all about handmade fabrics, home textiles, and sustainable clothing. “It’s a textile company which is deeply-rooted in sustainability. They have been working directly with every artisan, and not just ordering fabrics.” She loved working with them so much that she decided to move to Jaipur for six months when the company moved there.

But about one year back, she decided to take a break to get some time to herself. “I wanted to take one step at a time, so I started freelancing. I've been mainly developing textiles for multiple brands as a freelancer, and on the side, I've also been learning graphic designing. I learn new things every day with each of these designers. Everyone has their unique perspective on things, and that’s interesting for me. While I feel very connected to most of the work I create for others - it’s a joy to see a-thread-to-a fabric-to-a-garment process - I want to now take a journey to find myself and what really matters to me. That is where I'm slowly walking towards and there is a lot to navigate.”

Works for Mason & Mill

Works for Kilchu

Designing for home products

“I think your home should be a story of who you are and a collection of what you love.”

In terms of designing for a person’s home, it is important for Charmi to know more about the person - what’s their personal style, what kind of colour palette appeals to them the most, what kind of fabric do they incline towards, etc. “Staying true to my minimalist aesthetics and having a perfect balance of sophistication and subtle playfulness in each design I make is important to me when I design home textiles. I believe that the process is everything, I first use my imagination based on a given brief, and then even a small dot can be enough to start drawing and eventually converting it in a product, which feels personal not just to me but to the other person too.”

“At the end of the day, everyone wants to come back home and be completely at peace. You just want to be your authentic self as this truly is your space.”

What’s home for Charmi?

“For me, home can be any place that I feel close to. Auroville was home. Jaipur has been my home. I get connected to wherever I live, even for a bit. When I move to another place, I don’t really need anything in particular to make that my home. Apart from the basic stuff, the only things I carry along are my journal and my colours. Wherever I go, I try to paint things in that home. For example, at my sister's house in Canada right now, I have been painting various objects in my sketchbook like a vase or the window frame.

“My home in Bombay where I live with my parents and my dog is my home home (smiles). It’s my safe space. My decor sensibilities at my own home are muted, minimal, and yet detailed.”

I ask her what kind of details does she like. “For example, I did this home decor project for Lotus Veda where we created these hand-embroidered cushions made with kala cotton, and that embroidery made each piece feel detailed. Even a kantha stitch can a beautiful detail. I also really like abstract designs.”

Her favourite space in her Bombay home is this little corner by the window where she can often be found sitting with her dog. “It’s a small space just enough for the both of us. I feel the safest in this corner, just listening to my music, spending time with my dog, leaving everything aside for a few moments.”

One important aspect of her home life unsurprisingly goes back to her Auroville experience - which is regular check-ins with her family. “I was deeply touched by the sense of community in Auroville. We used to have these weekly meetings where people would really open up about their experiences and any issues that they were facing. And I realised how important that is and we often don’t do this consciously in our families. So when I got back, I started this ritual of having lunches together once-a-week, without any screens/gadgets, where we would really talk to each other and discuss things openly. We have started sharing a lot more because of this ritual, and my connection with my folks has changed drastically over the last few years. It’s also important for us to come home and share/celebrate every little happy thing that might have happened to us.”

“While I feel very connected to most of the work I create for others, I want to now take a journey to find myself and what matters to me. That is where I'm slowly walking towards and there is a lot to navigate.”

Her inspirations

“Travel inspires me a lot. I love meeting new people. Even while I have been here (in Canada), I have been trying to meet folks from some textile mills. Sometimes, I also get design ideas during my travels - like a particular architecture style might inspire a textile motif.

I also get inspired when I connect with something deeply. For example, I did these series of prints for Love The World Today which were based on the brief given by the founders - an ode to their fathers. Each print carries a part of a memory, a part of their childhood, and bedtime stories narrated to them. They were made with the idea of bringing everyone’s childhood memories together in one frame - reminding us of the comfort, pleasure, and enjoyment we felt when our parents narrated our favourite bedtime stories that took us on a wild ride of imagination every night. I really connected with that idea and that reflects in the work.”