Conversation with Sanjay Garg of Raw Mango
Sanjay Garg is the founder of Raw Mango, an Indian brand synonymous with quality Indian wear made with traditional textiles. He started the brand more than ten years ago in Chanderi, with only four weavers. The present-day workspace and showroom is housed at Chattarpur in South Delhi. Hailing from Rajasthan, Garg has been absolutely clear about the brand’s aesthetic value and the looks it creates. Today, Raw Mango employs more than 400 weavers.
“Evolution takes place at all levels, not just within fashion or saris. Overall, I would say that people have evolved, in the sense of being more interested in preserving our culture and heritage. ”
Image Credits: Raw Mango
Raw Mango could be safely called a cult brand with its simplistic Indian aesthetic that celebrates textiles. How do you think you as a designer and the brand have evolved in the past 10 years?
Raw Mango began with investigation of possibilities, seeking to question perspectives through our designs and philosophies and also create a unique aesthetic and voice that is both socially conscious and politically aware.
Completing a decade is a huge milestone and planning for the future in terms of the growth of the business and new opportunities is top of mind. Especially to not become complacent within a narrow definition of design. As a brand, it meant that we need to continue to expand boundaries and sell our products to a larger audience both in India and globally and for me personally, I never saw myself as a textile designer, and textile design has been the medium of expression so far, but as I grow I hope to continue to grow my vision and expand in other fields.
You create beautiful campaigns that touch many hearts. How important is communication and storytelling in a brand? Can we say Raw Mango is not restricted to clothing only?
Our campaigns and visual imagery is very important to us - we continue to employ new methods of visual storytelling to share a broader perspective, not just aesthetically but also in a way that reveals my personality as well as the brand’s and also communicates our political, social and cultural views - which we do not shy away from sharing at all.
You were an advisor to the sari series created by Border and Fall. You also produce small publications for your patrons and clients. Why do you think documentation is important especially with craft? Any comments on ‘Sari then and Sari Now’? Can you reflect on the anthropological evolution?
Raw Mango started in 2008 by innovating in Chanderi textile, followed by the rich and intricate Varanasi brocades and Mashru. At this time saris were not a part of ‘fashion’, so there were no trends per se. Trends, if any, were much more related to larger shifts, like moving away from hand-woven, or wearing mismatched blouses.
Evolution takes place at all levels, not just within fashion or saris. Overall, I would say that people have evolved, in the sense of being more interested in preserving our culture and heritage. Saris, just like with everything else, will continue to evolve as time passes - however, a ‘revival’ needs to go beyond just a trend or hashtag, and instead grow organically with sustained momentum.
Where do you think is the balance of traditional and contemporary? What do you think is the design language in India right now? Can you sense a movement? Where do you think is Indian design going? Is there a common aesthetic that you can identify?
In one word, I would say it is my Indian identity. Women have been wearing handloom saris for decades, it’s not a new concept. I want women to relate with what our saris and design language stand for. Through our textiles we continue to work on bridging the gap of questioning what ‘occasion’ wear stands for in today’s society.
In an ideal world, Indian textiles will be worn for their sheer beauty and craftsmanship, as opposed to ‘trendy’ fabrics that could be a passing fad.
It's great to see more people being involved in handloom and working towards preserving our heritage. However, I hope that this is not just a ‘trend’ or short-lived and instead creates a momentum that continues to support handloom. It would be wonderful to see Indian textiles enjoy organic growth amongst consumers, not just as a hyped story by the media.
Raw Mango caters to a larger audience outside of India. What do you think is the value of Made in India? Has it evolved in the last 5 years?
I am glad that Indian weaves are being celebrated internationally, why wouldn’t something so beautiful be celebrated? Excited to be growing both locally and globally. More than defining my audience, I am excited to explore and articulate my design language that can cater to different audiences that transcend borders and seasons.
What is your take on slow handmade brands? Is sustainability something you are conscious of?
Sustainability is no longer just a catchphrase in the world of fashion. It cannot be distinguished from a particular segment of society or culture. In today’s world, we have to be much more aware of the interdependence between events – from the farms that grow the fibers used in our clothing, to climate change affecting crops. There was a time when the future of the environment was not given any weight. Today, we are far more conscious as buyers. We insist on a sustainable lifestyle – from what we consume, eat, wear, to the packaging we use, etc. This movement comes from an inner desire to sustain the lifestyles we lead, in every facet, for a longer period of time. I see sustainability as the need of the hour.
India is seeing a boom when it comes to micro-cultural businesses. Do you think this is the future to both cultural and economic sustainability any cons compared to high investment- scalable businesses?
We should support and can give back to local businesses and communities in order to preserve craftsmanship and promote a successful socio-economic environment for all. I believe in the ‘Zero Kilometer Design Philosophy’ which also means that the focus needs to be on creating an impact that brings about development in the long run. I think scalable businesses are important, and they don't have to be mutually independent. With India's population micro can also be large - view Raw Mango as a large scalable business focused on micro culture: that is where the impact lies.
Its 150 years of Gandhi this year. How are handloom and sari connected? Any favorite textile craft?
Gandhiji’s idea of textile and handloom encompassed the human condition and socio-economic realities, hence recognizing the value of incorporating it in our daily lives. I believe that our handloom industry is growing in the right direction and the policies that we have in place today need to be implemented the right way and followed by all - which is what we are missing out on.
Raw Mango believes in celebrating design and colour with a mission of preservation and regeneration of handcrafted skills in India, currently employing over 250 skilled karigars. Handloom is not something that should be made to be ‘exciting’ but should be informed as a reflection of the preservation of craftsmanship and promotion of a successful socio-economic and sustainable environment for all.
Our journey began with exploring the chanderi textile followed by the rich and intricate Varanasi brocades and Mashru. Textile and handloom speak to many communities and the human condition and it is important to recognize the value of handloom on a larger/national scale and also regional.
Of the many techniques, one is Raw Mango’s relationship with Mashru, which is deeply layered. Our re-interpretation introduced a new development of the textile in Benares, namely working with solid colors, a return to silk (which had been replaced by rayon), and included a renewed interest amongst the weaving community, one which has been growing over the last decade.
Indian Artists have used textiles in their paintings (e.g. Raja Ravi Verma.) How are art and textiles related today especially with mixed media artists using textiles as a medium? There are also many independent museums and galleries that showcase textile experimentation.
Everything from music, dance, food are all integral part of social fabric, including art. Art gains meaning through history, culture and context and textile can help communicate all of these. That's what makes textile so powerful as a medium.
It would be fair to say that there is nothing like pure Indian culture. The geography has changed; all our foods, clothing are borrowed and exchanged. Do you think material culture (especially textiles) becomes part of our identity in more ways than one? There are so many microbloggers talking about identity who are Indians living abroad and connect to your saris, and ex-pats moving to India do as well.
There is always going to be a need for local weave and crafts, this amongst others is what contributes to a nation's identity and individuality - why would we want to take a look elsewhere when there is still so much to be discovered?