Designed a carpet addressing geopolitical issues for Pavitra Rajaram x Jaipur Rugs, launched at Milan Design Week.
Middle Eastern folk tales have several literary depictions of magic carpets that could perform tricks no one has seen or heard of before. While those fictional carpets could fly, could it be possible to conceive a real-life version that gives one important lesson in history, culture, and geopolitics—all at once?
Designed at
Launched at the global benchmark event for the furnishing and design industry
“Design is always in a continuum. Motifs that have stood the test of time must be revisited and reinterpreted in unique ways. That is how design travels and design legacies are kept alive. With Majnun, we wanted to create a collection that is as old as it is new, with roots steeped in the iconic carpet traditions from India, Persia, and China, but interpreted in a modern idiom.”
— Pavitra Rajaram
AD100 Award-Winning Designer
Founder and Creative Director of Pavitra Rajaram Design.
— Kriti Saraswat-Satpathy
Writer for Architectural Digest
Rendered in the same folk-inspired style, it is a reflection of India’s experience with colonialism, post-1857, and captures the uniform worn by many Indians who served their British masters. Two colorways were developed for the rug: Bristol Blue and Golden Glow. Each rug is hand-knotted by carpet weavers in Rajasthan, India, using silk, wool, and cotton yarns. The carpets incorporate the concept of the "Persian flaw," intentionally leaving imperfections in each rug to honor the belief that only God's creations are perfect.
In the Arabic language, the word Majnun means ‘a crazy person.’ This collection is a testament to those who are besotted and crazy in love. It celebrates designers, dreamers, and carpet-makers across centuries. Each carpet is a meticulously hand-knotted ode to the Majnus of the world. Other carpets in the collection are designed by Tanish Malji, Aparna Kale, and Rukaiya Lokhandwala for Pavitra Rajaram Design.
Project for Pavitra Rajaram Design, 4 weeks
Product design, textile development, cultural storytelling, collaboration with artisans
Project undertaken as a Design Intern at
Headed by Pavitra Rajaram and Tanish Malji
Images Courtesy of Jaipur Rugs