The design of ‘memory’ Khaadi
Text: Ar. Maria. A
Photography credits: ASA
The influx of media, the ease of travel, the simplicity in transfer of information and technology, the abundance of software tools, the plethora of materials and modules and the list goes on for today’s computer and internet savvy world; the question is have these tools enhanced the creativity of a being in whatever field one is. To be more specific are architects and interior designers of today more creative then our past icons. Have we lost the race to vernacular, regional and contextual architecture? Are we now running for the globalization where anything and everything can happen anywhere?
In today’s time when working on any design and exploring hundreds of possibilities, it is indeed very easy to do a hi-fi design. One hardly ever knows where to stop, when there are no dictates of period or context and everything sells under the banner of globalization. When we have gone beyond modernism, post modernism, revivalism, contextualism and now go-green; all critique is stilled in the name of twenty first century, when the kitsch works. Hence a project which defies all of the above, sits quietly and sedately in its surroundings and yet makes a statement is indeed a refreshing respite and that is exactly what khaadi is “respite”.
Making room settings is a task that involves remarkable listening skills. It is a way of communicating worlds, cultures, symbols, something that requires wits and bravery in suggesting different expressive forms and ways. ASA, which is committed to providing unique design solutions and services in various projects, boasts remarkable creativity which makes it possible to achieve optimal results. Credit is due to a great team who takes an active part in popularizing a new approach to display space, surfaces, volumes, light effects and colours; change into an aesthetic experience resulting from a new creative concept, with a view to surprise and leave a mark. Advanced primarily by architect Shahid Abdulla and designers who were skilful in conjugating the definition of each single object to more ample ideas of living styles, the design of Khaadi, which I say is a revival of memory drew on different cultural traditions and various experimentations based on hybrids as a fundamental design approach. The result was a tradition founded on a process of over-laying history with the present; mixing popular traditions with refined materials and sophisticated finishes using the history of the cloth as an original model for an up-to-date simplification, refunctionalising the past for the present.
Traditionally an architect is a problem solver, a person who finds solutions to a problem which the site poses or is dished out by the client. But for an architect to actually “find a problem” seems like an inversion of that role. It presents a new paradigm, not just about the client understanding of what he/she requires but also about the architect who is wanting to uncover the latent potential of the context. Architect Shahid Abdulla is one such architect who delves into a project with precisely that in mind, who is seeking a different model of the architect as author-in denial of authoring.
The design always emerges from the problem otherwise its difficult to forge ahead. In the case of Khaadi, it was the revival of (memory) the hand loom material which was fast approaching extinction or was being taken for granted. The aim of client Shamoon Sultan was to make Khaadi not only fashionable but to revive a dying art of weaving cloth on handlooms. This since ancient times was always a big industry eaten up by the industrial revolution, and Shamoon was trying to recreate history with Khaadi. The outlets of Khaadi though located at extremely strategic points have a monochrome, mundane ordinariness to it compared to what one would expect of an apparel outfit. The interiors are quiet respite from their surroundings and hardly ever compete with their product. The products are displayed in a blaze of color on a neutral back drop. The plan and details are simplistic with a careful study of materials being used. The outlets are designed to look ordinary with simple ordinariness of material used in an extra-ordinary way, this is synonymous to what Khaadi is doing to ‘khaddar’, the material and this is the essence of Khaadi.
Basic materials, natural materials like cement flooring un-tinted with any color, lot of timber details and essence, a total absence of color with exposure of architectural elements such as girders, structures are key elements of any and every Khaadi outlet. But it goes without saying that with every new outlet to hit the town or anywhere in Pakistan there’s a subtle evolution; panache has been achieved from the prior one – the language and ethos of display remains consistent and does not boggle the shopper. The product reigns supreme in the execution of design. Over the years the outlets nonetheless have more elements, are more mature and resolved then the earlier ones. The subtle differences can be noticed by a keen observer since they are so unobtrusive and are actually features accentuated with more finesse.
But one aspect that cannot be ignored is the flamboyance of color. The usage of color in any project proclaims the dexterity of the designer in creating atmospheric spaces. Colour has a psychological role to play in any environment and is a science on its own; hence the use of color can actually make or break the space. The first outlet to have colour in its interiors was the Lahore one, which is a converted Fiat Showroom. In this particular outlet Imran Khan came up with a strong graphic image of Lahore that he painted and which is aptly complemented by a fiery orange a little bit though with the grey plaster. “I enjoyed doing the Lahore outlet since there was room to play with a lot of nature/green. Nature is an important element in my design, nature and all things close to it. I have green spaces, water bodies, sound of water and birds but in retail outlets its difficult to amalgamate this in design as every inch of the space is taken up for display purposes, but Lahore outlet gave us the opportunity which I thoroughly enjoyed.”
Shahid Abdulla never to shy in giving credit to his design team believes that Khaadi is all about team work, and in all the outlets the combining factor is him and the other is that all designers (team) of Khaadi have somehow been graduates of Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture. “I am clear in what am I designing for. It’s the product which has to sell and not my design, the only Khaadi where I have consciously been a little opulent is the ‘Khaadi Khaas’, it is a little lofty, little whimsical yet still monochromatic; and is supposed to sell the best of the best in Khaadi. While for me it’s the Hyderi outlet in Karachi, though the general consensus on favorites is the Clifton outlet.”
The emphasis of the outlets especially of an apparel outlet is always the display, which in Khaadi are further highlighted through dimly lit halogen forming a warm glow of light and shadow. All outlets have large show windows but still the element of surprise is ever present and can only be experienced the moment one steps in through the heavy raw timber doors. Shahid Abdulla elaborating on his design studio emphasizes on the fact that design should be simple. We should now learn to ‘un-design’. We Pakistanis have a tendency to show off more then what we have and this is prevalent in all that we do, in our gestures, in what we wear, in how we operate and socialize and of course in our built environment. We are not a simple society, we are highly consumeric. This is the main difference between us and the population in our neighboring country. Either they are not conscious enough or they are wise to know that they do not need all this unnecessary display. Similarly simplicity in spaces also can reflect the care and design modalities. “Hence I try to under design now, use more of natural materials and nature. I try to blend my interiors and exteriors, the materials lend to the life cycle of my project which renders the building into maturity instead of making it old.”
Khaadi now has a strong presence in Pakistan and is recognized as a leading brand. It connects with all the people who design, create, manufacture and use aesthetically appealing living products based on respect for the person as for the environment. There is a humane nature associated with Khaadi which can be enhanced even further. ASA is now more then ever conscious of environment which will travel with it wherever it goes/ grows, whether it’s Dubai or London. Of course cities have their significant input and flavor on any brand retail outlet but there are signature features of Khaadi that is its natural quiet which, the people are used to is its essence; hence will stay.
In the design of memory, the sense of ancestral things, conservation, reinterpretation by reason of which things that have already been done continue to live within us, determine a tradition. Khaadi must also be given credit for having cultivated a tradition which fostered material that exists beyond time, distinguished by a durable image and style.
Photography credits: ASA
The influx of media, the ease of travel, the simplicity in transfer of information and technology, the abundance of software tools, the plethora of materials and modules and the list goes on for today’s computer and internet savvy world; the question is have these tools enhanced the creativity of a being in whatever field one is. To be more specific are architects and interior designers of today more creative then our past icons. Have we lost the race to vernacular, regional and contextual architecture? Are we now running for the globalization where anything and everything can happen anywhere?
In today’s time when working on any design and exploring hundreds of possibilities, it is indeed very easy to do a hi-fi design. One hardly ever knows where to stop, when there are no dictates of period or context and everything sells under the banner of globalization. When we have gone beyond modernism, post modernism, revivalism, contextualism and now go-green; all critique is stilled in the name of twenty first century, when the kitsch works. Hence a project which defies all of the above, sits quietly and sedately in its surroundings and yet makes a statement is indeed a refreshing respite and that is exactly what khaadi is “respite”.
Making room settings is a task that involves remarkable listening skills. It is a way of communicating worlds, cultures, symbols, something that requires wits and bravery in suggesting different expressive forms and ways. ASA, which is committed to providing unique design solutions and services in various projects, boasts remarkable creativity which makes it possible to achieve optimal results. Credit is due to a great team who takes an active part in popularizing a new approach to display space, surfaces, volumes, light effects and colours; change into an aesthetic experience resulting from a new creative concept, with a view to surprise and leave a mark. Advanced primarily by architect Shahid Abdulla and designers who were skilful in conjugating the definition of each single object to more ample ideas of living styles, the design of Khaadi, which I say is a revival of memory drew on different cultural traditions and various experimentations based on hybrids as a fundamental design approach. The result was a tradition founded on a process of over-laying history with the present; mixing popular traditions with refined materials and sophisticated finishes using the history of the cloth as an original model for an up-to-date simplification, refunctionalising the past for the present.
Traditionally an architect is a problem solver, a person who finds solutions to a problem which the site poses or is dished out by the client. But for an architect to actually “find a problem” seems like an inversion of that role. It presents a new paradigm, not just about the client understanding of what he/she requires but also about the architect who is wanting to uncover the latent potential of the context. Architect Shahid Abdulla is one such architect who delves into a project with precisely that in mind, who is seeking a different model of the architect as author-in denial of authoring.
The design always emerges from the problem otherwise its difficult to forge ahead. In the case of Khaadi, it was the revival of (memory) the hand loom material which was fast approaching extinction or was being taken for granted. The aim of client Shamoon Sultan was to make Khaadi not only fashionable but to revive a dying art of weaving cloth on handlooms. This since ancient times was always a big industry eaten up by the industrial revolution, and Shamoon was trying to recreate history with Khaadi. The outlets of Khaadi though located at extremely strategic points have a monochrome, mundane ordinariness to it compared to what one would expect of an apparel outfit. The interiors are quiet respite from their surroundings and hardly ever compete with their product. The products are displayed in a blaze of color on a neutral back drop. The plan and details are simplistic with a careful study of materials being used. The outlets are designed to look ordinary with simple ordinariness of material used in an extra-ordinary way, this is synonymous to what Khaadi is doing to ‘khaddar’, the material and this is the essence of Khaadi.
Basic materials, natural materials like cement flooring un-tinted with any color, lot of timber details and essence, a total absence of color with exposure of architectural elements such as girders, structures are key elements of any and every Khaadi outlet. But it goes without saying that with every new outlet to hit the town or anywhere in Pakistan there’s a subtle evolution; panache has been achieved from the prior one – the language and ethos of display remains consistent and does not boggle the shopper. The product reigns supreme in the execution of design. Over the years the outlets nonetheless have more elements, are more mature and resolved then the earlier ones. The subtle differences can be noticed by a keen observer since they are so unobtrusive and are actually features accentuated with more finesse.
But one aspect that cannot be ignored is the flamboyance of color. The usage of color in any project proclaims the dexterity of the designer in creating atmospheric spaces. Colour has a psychological role to play in any environment and is a science on its own; hence the use of color can actually make or break the space. The first outlet to have colour in its interiors was the Lahore one, which is a converted Fiat Showroom. In this particular outlet Imran Khan came up with a strong graphic image of Lahore that he painted and which is aptly complemented by a fiery orange a little bit though with the grey plaster. “I enjoyed doing the Lahore outlet since there was room to play with a lot of nature/green. Nature is an important element in my design, nature and all things close to it. I have green spaces, water bodies, sound of water and birds but in retail outlets its difficult to amalgamate this in design as every inch of the space is taken up for display purposes, but Lahore outlet gave us the opportunity which I thoroughly enjoyed.”
Shahid Abdulla never to shy in giving credit to his design team believes that Khaadi is all about team work, and in all the outlets the combining factor is him and the other is that all designers (team) of Khaadi have somehow been graduates of Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture. “I am clear in what am I designing for. It’s the product which has to sell and not my design, the only Khaadi where I have consciously been a little opulent is the ‘Khaadi Khaas’, it is a little lofty, little whimsical yet still monochromatic; and is supposed to sell the best of the best in Khaadi. While for me it’s the Hyderi outlet in Karachi, though the general consensus on favorites is the Clifton outlet.”
The emphasis of the outlets especially of an apparel outlet is always the display, which in Khaadi are further highlighted through dimly lit halogen forming a warm glow of light and shadow. All outlets have large show windows but still the element of surprise is ever present and can only be experienced the moment one steps in through the heavy raw timber doors. Shahid Abdulla elaborating on his design studio emphasizes on the fact that design should be simple. We should now learn to ‘un-design’. We Pakistanis have a tendency to show off more then what we have and this is prevalent in all that we do, in our gestures, in what we wear, in how we operate and socialize and of course in our built environment. We are not a simple society, we are highly consumeric. This is the main difference between us and the population in our neighboring country. Either they are not conscious enough or they are wise to know that they do not need all this unnecessary display. Similarly simplicity in spaces also can reflect the care and design modalities. “Hence I try to under design now, use more of natural materials and nature. I try to blend my interiors and exteriors, the materials lend to the life cycle of my project which renders the building into maturity instead of making it old.”
Khaadi now has a strong presence in Pakistan and is recognized as a leading brand. It connects with all the people who design, create, manufacture and use aesthetically appealing living products based on respect for the person as for the environment. There is a humane nature associated with Khaadi which can be enhanced even further. ASA is now more then ever conscious of environment which will travel with it wherever it goes/ grows, whether it’s Dubai or London. Of course cities have their significant input and flavor on any brand retail outlet but there are signature features of Khaadi that is its natural quiet which, the people are used to is its essence; hence will stay.
In the design of memory, the sense of ancestral things, conservation, reinterpretation by reason of which things that have already been done continue to live within us, determine a tradition. Khaadi must also be given credit for having cultivated a tradition which fostered material that exists beyond time, distinguished by a durable image and style.
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