Projects that seeks to portray cultural diversity through colour
Tea with Ecru
What comes to your mind when we say ‘tea’? Warmth, friendship, conversations, and a shared space for leisure and rejuvenation. But also specific cultures such as the Indian subcontinent and the Middle Eastern world.
Cocoa and Jasmine agency worked alongside Ecru, a Kuwait-based lifestyle brand, to create a campaign that captures the everyday life of Arabic hospitality through tea. Because tea represents not just a culinary element but an entire culture, we made an attempt to tell Ecru’s story against the spaces that are defined by this magical drink. The narrative brings out Ecru’s intimate connection with Jaipur while expressing the sensory Arabic aesthetic that defines their brand.We conceptualised our storytelling for Ecru around Jaipur’s Old Bazaar, with its centuries old shops, halwais, vendors, jewellery makers, moneylenders and many more. The bazaar’s antiquated soul spoke the same language as Kuwait’s souks and medinas, thus conveying the cross-cultural sensibility that defines Ecru’s work. Jaipur’s colourful locales infuse the campaign with a local flavour while drawing attention to shared cultures and traditions.
In the charming architecture of the chowks and bazaars, and souqs and medinas, where people gather and start impromptu conversations over cups of tea. We interacted with business owners, artisans, and traders who hold shops for generations. We have visually captured the stories behind these old businesses, and the interiors that define the style and aesthetic of bygone eras. Ecru’s work, set against this landscape, begins to evoke the traditional roots and cultural inspiration that defines their identity. The visual representation of Jaipur’s Old Bazaar takes us on a journey through Arabic souks and medinas, and tells a story of common traditions and shared history made possible by traders and travellers of the past.
Art Direction and Photography by Sayali Goyal
Undyed with Tokree
Tokree’s 2022 Holi collection is a celebration of white. The undyed pieces are a true reflection of the beauty and textures of natural fabrics. Holi is a festival where people across age and community come together to play with colours. It is an ode to springtime joy, and the clothes idealise the modern-day soul whose heart stays rooted in traditions.The Holi collection is shot in the exotic locales of Jaipur’s Old Bazaar. We get a peek of the everyday grandeur of the city - its narrow alleys, crowded shops, piles of fabrics, and colourful walls that turn from pink to orange. The clothes are meant to be the perfect canvas for gulal. White symbolises a brand new start to the new year, with fresh hopes and spirit. White represents a blank canvas onto which imagination can run without restraint. It is also the prism that holds in its bosom all the seven colours of the rainbow, all the colours of the universe, hence the perfect symbol of diversity. Through its white palette, therefore, the collection highlights the craft and timeless beauty of undyed handwoven fabric.
Men and women toss colours on each other, traditionally made of ground flowers and other natural ingredients. Phalguna, or springtime, is all about colours and new life. We see nature break out from the pall of the winters, and trees and flowers begin to blossom once again. Traditionally, women in Rajasthan wear white attires with vibrant Bandhani dupattas that embrace all the colours of spring. This is the spirit of ‘Phalguniya’, as the festival is traditionally called in Rajasthan. It is a beautiful reflection of how textiles embody the essence of seasonal change and nature’s palette, and how ‘white’ becomes the most important symbol of harmony and togetherness. The collection of handcrafted pieces pays tribute to this traditional spring festival and the natural cycles of life and rejuvenation it is tied with. It is the perfect representation of overcoming the hardships of the past and welcoming the days ahead with renewed spirit. Because nothing symbolises fresh beginnings better than white, and nothing brings together colours more joyously than white. And as the pieces dazzle against the Old Bazaar’s colourful vistas, we are reminded that Jaipur is a city where spring never leaves.
Art Direction and Photography by Sayali Goyal
Samudree in Sanganer with House of Wandering Silk
House of Wandering Silk created a collection of contemporary clothing using under water creators as inspiration. To put focus on the process and colours of the collection, we chose to shoot this collection in Sanganer using the colours of the village in the background. While the artisans seen in this collaboration are key to the story, The woman who wears these free silhouettes with these fun block printed illustration, truly inspired the attitude of the shoot.
Art Direction and Photography by Sayali Goyal
‘Bring Home Nature’ for Nilaya by Asian Paints
A visual campaign that celebrates the wonders of the natural world through a collection of intricately handwoven rugs. These rugs mimic the textures of earth, and the vibrant colours of the sun and sky. A piece of handmade rug is an ode to ancient craftsmanship, and through this campaign we seek to recreate the intimate connection between nature and human creation. The rugs emulate the uneven surface of quartzite rocks and dry land, the softness of grasslands and flower beds, the soothing monochrome of a blue sky, mid-day scintillations on a rivulet, and the waves of the emerald oceans.
Through nature, the collection presents before us the skilled craftsmanship involved in the making of the rugs. Because the focus has been on retaining authentic craft processes, the rugs evoke a sense of antiquity that is only possible with time and individual attention given to each piece. Every piece of rug in this collection is a craft connoisseur’s dream. The intention behind the shoot has been to incorporate the diverse patterns we see in nature as reflected in the stunning artistry of the rugs. Visually, the campaign correlates the history of craft as a history of humankind’s symbiotic relationship with the world around us. By bringing home a piece from this collection, one can enhance the aesthetic quotient of their home decor. More importantly, it sets a reminder that nothing supersedes nature’s artistry.
Art Direction by Sayali Goyal. Shot by Karan Chawla
