cali fold a fabric jali by amolesing from india

Inspiration : Inspired from one of the most common but interesting element of Indian traditional architecture "Jali", my product "Cali Fold" is an attempt to capture the same essence and experience. Intricately carved like a screen out of stone, Jalis can be used as a means to divide spaces without rigid compartmentalization or compromising on the expanse of a space. The jali is based on a geometrical grid and carved from flat stone, so I chose to use origami tessellations to create the essence of the jails. Origami tessellations were used to create the essence of a Jali to transform a flat piece of Organdy fabric into a finished sculpture through folding techniques. These explorations are done by exploring origami structures in fabric to create different patterns and the required look.

Proposal : Being Sustainable, Being Minimalist : With increasing concern for sustainability and re-usability, it was important to come up with this lifestyle product which in process and concept is sustainable and does not compromises on the experience produced. This textile product serves the purpose of a modifier of space and creates an experience similar to a Jali. Similar to a Jali carved out of a single piece of stone, a single piece of translucent and stiff Organdy fabric was folded and heat set to resemble the jali tessellated across the wall. By manipulating the same geometric grid, different folded patterns were obtained. Each one of them created a different experience. “Cali Fold” a fabric jali, is minimalist in its process with the entire patterning done by just folding. The white prototype demonstrate the same. The terra-cotta dyed prototype demonstrate how the product is given color through a sustainable process. India being a craft dominated country, its important to develop products encouraging hand skills and thus providing them with employment. Product is made further stable by using chikankari stitches.

Simulation : These organdy screens are simulated in real life spaces to demonstrate their use and effect. The shadows from the screens result in an interesting interplay of elements during the day. In the night, the spatial lighting could contribute to myriad looks and feel. The focus of these space modifiers is to make the space look more appealing, which is achieved through the translucency of the organdy, lending a subtle gossamer look, transforming the very spaces they are a part of.
This is a sustainable lifestyle product imbibing an essence of novelty and good design. These products celebrate the marriage of culture, textiles and crafts of the country that are an integral part of the cultural identity of India. Rich handcrafted look but still sustainable with high usability.