Homegrown labels are finally giving craftspersons their dues
Jaipur Basta designs contemporary handbags in collaboration with local artisans of the city with a vision to take the crafts of Jaipur to the world
Celebrated Indian designer Rahul Mishra pays an homage to the kaarigar - the craftsperson - in his first showcase of the collection ‘We The People’ at Paris Couture Week 2023. His designs champion slow handwork and on average, each piece took 3000 hours to come to life.
“It’s dedicated to the artisans, the people - they’ve been an inspiration behind this collection. How they work, how they create beautiful poetry on clothes - that is what there is to witness today,” says Mishra at the event.
And our guest for this edition of Inside the Walled City of Jaipur isn’t all that different. She too celebrates the artisan in her own right and in doing so, designs handbags that are contemporary yet honour the age-old crafts of Jaipur.
“I go to the walled city of Jaipur every other day. All my kaarigars (artisans) work there,” says Nikita Shekhawat, 26, of Jaipur Basta.
Doing it differently
Jaipur Basta does what it says on the tin. ‘Basta’ literally translates to handbags, and JB creates totes, purses, laptop bags and sleeves, slings and other arm candies using the most celebrated techniques of the Pink City like hand block printing and patchwork.
What started as her dissertation in 2020 for her diploma at the Indian Institute of Crafts and Design is now a business that gives Shekhawat an edge over other designers in the city who use similar crafts and techniques.
“I knew I had to do something different, definitely not something in clothing because every other person in Jaipur is doing that right now. And when I presented my bags to the jury for my dissertation, they recommended I take this idea further.”
What also differentiates her products is their sturdiness. My mum, an aficionado of both - Jaipur’s textiles and handbags at large, says that every tote or wallet she’s used which was made using any sort of hand printing technique would lose shape and colour in a few uses.
And when I confront Shekhawat, she clarifies that the one reason why she has a recurring consumer base is that all her handbags are made to last long, maintain shape as any high-end bag would and most importantly, not fade in print.
“We don’t use screen printing. Think of it as a cheap substitute to hand-block printing which doesn’t really last that long. Every one of our bags is handmade and hand printed, which is why it may have slight imperfections but that’s really the beauty of this art. Plus, it doesn’t lose colour or sheen as easily,” explains Shekhawat.
Bagging the market
When Shekhawat first put out a handful of her designs online, the response was “surprising.” She says she didn’t expect people to take a liking to her products so soon, which made her test the waters further. The entrepreneur started displaying her work in and around Jaipur at festivals and exhibitions.
Soon enough, people started recognising her designs and DMed her on Instagram to ship to their cities. And that’s when the creative head launched her website that delivers pan-India. With no background in business and only one craftsperson, Shekhawat knew she had found her calling - “to take Jaipur’s prints and crafts to the world.”
Having sold 5000+ handbags and catered to the likes of Miss India 2017 Manushi Chillar, Shekhawat now encourages more young entrepreneurs to stay in Jaipur and look at it as an opportunity to collaborate with the artisans of the city.
“I was born and brought up in Jaipur and I think it gave me leverage because I knew of the rich art landscape we have at our disposal. I don’t think any other city could’ve done that for me.”
Not just the crafts, Shekhawat also makes complete use of the terracotta walls, rustic bazaars and the hubbub of the walled city in her photoshoots. A closer look at her Instagram and you’ll spot her bags against the pink shutters of shops of Johari Bazaar, staircases of famous temples of Chaura Rasta and golden archways of havelis in all of the walled city.
And before we move onto Shekhawat’s favourite places in the walled city, here’s a friendly heads up. The moment Jaipur Basta drops its iconic patchwork tote on the website, which also happens to be my favourite of all their bags, it vanishes in thin air. I don’t think we’re too far off from registering ourselves for its waiting list like the Birkin.
Shekhawat suggests the best places in the walled city of Jaipur for:
1. Quick snack - Samrat Restaurant (Shop No.273, Choura Rasta, Pink City, Bapu Bazar, Biseswarji)
2. Clothes shopping - Bapu Bazaar
3. Catch-up with friends - Tattoo Cafe (3rd Floor 30, opposite Hawa Mahal, Rang Bihari Temple, Badi Chaupar)
4. Photoshoot - Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar
5. A must-visit for your first time in Jaipur - Tapri Central, C-Scheme
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