Bollywood, cricket, curry and the Kama Sutra. These are probably the clichés most people associate with India. However, when Mohit Jayal and V Sunil of W+K Delhi spoke at the Design Indaba Conference 2009, the audience were introduced to a new Indian cultural sensibility. Watch video now.
So Design Indaba invited the advertising duo to guest edit an edition of the magazine – the “Made In India” issue. They were amped. Despite completely relinquishing creative and editorial control, we were also amped. And when we saw the result, we were really amped.
“Made In India”, dubbed “Once We Were Cool”, is a nostalgic and critical look at the fine Indian traditions of yesteryear. Literally an A to Z account of Indian life, the magazine is a cover-to-cover exposé of everything from craftsmanship and cuisine to journalism, pop culture and housekeeping. From a wet sari shoot and a graphed decline in idealism, to the ultimate opulence of maharajas and the lesser-known Indian martial art of kalari, W+K Delhi have pushed far beyond the cliché.
With contributors including Dr Vandana Shiva, Palagummi Sainath, Bharat Sikka, Amit Chaudhuri, Manish Arora and many more, this is an exclusive insider’s guide to Indian creativity and culture. Many of the features reminisce about the rich cultural heritage that has been all-but-abandoned in the name of Westernisation and so-called progress. It hints at the reasons for India’s ascent to world superpower and why the traditions that once made them cool is what’s going to help make them great again.
Serendipitously coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the Indian community in South Africa, the “Made In India” edition has special relevance in South Africa and every Indian diaspora community. An edifying celebration of culture from a design perspective, the magazine is a manifestation of the power of being Indian.
Design Indaba “Made In India”. Remembering why India once was cool and celebrating why they’ll be cool again. On sale now at selected Exclusive Books, Woolworths, other stockists and online in South Africa. Click here for a full stockists listing.
Also distributed in India through Campaign India and available in all key bookstores and outlets in major Indian cities from October 2010.
For high-res images, interview requests and any other press material, please contact:
Deborah Weber
Tel: +27 021 465 9966
Email: deborah@interactiveafrica.com
