Torana Designs
Brief
Torana Designs is a Design project undertaken for my MA Degree. The main inspiration of this project was to redefine Indian embroidery and craftsmanship in a contemporary world.
Motivation
Handmade products are an emerging and growing industry. My past design experience with embroidery inspired me to create products for a new market - The United Kingdom.
Background
The UK market contributes to £5.2 billion pounds. The current consumer is focused on looking for ‘value for money' styles. The embroidered footwear is backed up by the Artisanal Trend that is widely popular.
Design Process
Material Board
Spring Summer 2023
Design Collection
A hybrid between a sandal and an espadrille. The upper is raffia embroidery which is complimented with jute and braided details making it perfect for summer holidays.
Garden Party
Lilac Skies
This design caters to an upcoming and trendy colour – Lilac, which is important for the SS 23. It also features a coloured jute rope and a white track sole.
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A gladiator with embroidered mesh flowers, beaded tassels, and an interesting stitched detail on the insock. This look is very innovative and can be styled with or without the tie-up rope.
Flower Power
Pink Memories
Blush Plush
A welted flat unit with a square toe profile is ideal for people who have a flat foot. The upper design is a mix of thread embroidery, beaded work, and the addition of pearls.
Pink Memories is a subtle take on the gladiator look. It follows a more harmonious colour story and features interesting embroidery, beaded tassels, and a coloured sole.
Summertime Bliss
Summertime bliss is a simple unit sandal with a twist in the insock, featuring raffia stitches on the front. The embroidery is threaded work with addition to a variety of beads and sequins.
A Little Market
A little Market was inspired with a big bouquet of flowers and uses a lot of fun 3D trims for the upper and midsole of the sandal. It features a flatform unit with an edgy outsole in bright pink color.
Knockout Party
The last design for this collection is the knockout party featuring the NEW and bold – Valentino Pink colour.
The embroidery is sequin, bead and metal trim works on the upper and the heel. The silhouette of a Platform heel is an important party look for SS 23!
Final Prototypes
A few samples were developed with the help of Indian vendors based in Mumbai and Delhi.
Autumn Winter 2023
Design Collection
Graceful Garden
Featuring a black velvet with Indian inspired Mukaish Badla work. Mukaish Badla work refers to using flat metal strands to replicate thread work. It is accompanied by small golden beads and sequin in the floral motifs.
Graceful Garden
A second colour for the Graceful Garden is the Emerald green velvet colour. It features a mesh peek-a-boo look on the sides with a black TPU outsole.
Midnight Story
Midnight Story is a monotone colour option. It adorns an all black metallic look with various 3d trims, creating a symmetrical design. As Silk is used as a base fabric, making this look is ideal for formal event.
Desert Rose
Desert Rose fulfils the daytime look for the season. It features an elastic band on the instep that helps to hold the foot better.
Regal Affair adorns a perfect mule with a velvet bow and geometric design on the upper. Padded half insock to increase the comfort of the slight heel and also the attachment of pearls between the flower motifs. It covers two colours, black and Malachite, a shade of green important for the AW 2023 season.
Regal Affair
Royal Opera
Finally the Royal Opera is a flirty high heel sandal with silver zariwork. The 3D flowers in the front and the counter of the sandal make the design interesting. The use of Embroidered mesh not only supports majority of the foot, but gives it a more alluring profile.
Royal Opera
The Royal Opera also features a black colour option with light silver colour tones for the embroidery.
