https://www.rashmivarma.com/fashion daily 1.0 2026-04-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1501690267665-ZO0YAGB3G6CCYPB08KMB/IMG_3178.jpg FASHION - Chikankari Chikankari is white threadwork. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/587ecbd5-84d1-4f59-a892-e1dbcb065736/IMG_3178.JPG FASHION https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1775504141795-L5HJR4UG2L3FVYGSAED2/Goodearth+Grey+Top.jpg FASHION - Rashmi Varma for Good Earth Sustain, 2024 https://www.rashmivarma.com/publications daily 0.75 2026-04-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1548228028143-Q7RNJJB2Z7P3PM4Y348X/pg1.jpg PUBLICATIONS SĀR: The Essence of Indian Design Curated by Rashmi Varma & Swapnaa Tamhane Photography by Prarthna Singh Phaidon Press 2016 An exploration of the timeless beauty of Indian design through 200 classic objects. The Indian subcontinent is an amalgamation of peoples, cultures, languages and philosophies. Throughout history Indian culture has been subject to myriad different influences, from the Mughal empire to the British Raj to the now globalized nation in transition. Similar to 'Wa: Essence of Japanese Design', this book will trace continuity through the history of Indian design from antiquity to the present day. The book explores the elements that make Indian design so special, including the varied manufacturing and decorating techniques of the country’s incredibly skilled craftsmen, highly specialized object designs that have been refined over centuries, and ongoing responses to nature, technology, and necessity. The objects were chosen for their enduring quality and beauty, and their integral connection to Indian culture. Rather than following a chronological order or concentrating on the (often anonymous) designers, this book separates the objects into abstract categories anchored by Hindi words chosen to illuminate how each object fits into the lives of Indians. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1548228028143-Q7RNJJB2Z7P3PM4Y348X/pg1.jpg PUBLICATIONS SĀR: The Essence of Indian Design Curated by Rashmi Varma & Swapnaa Tamhane Photography by Prarthna Singh Phaidon Press 2016 An exploration of the timeless beauty of Indian design through 200 classic objects. The Indian subcontinent is an amalgamation of peoples, cultures, languages and philosophies. Throughout history Indian culture has been subject to myriad different influences, from the Mughal empire to the British Raj to the now globalized nation in transition. Similar to 'Wa: Essence of Japanese Design', this book will trace continuity through the history of Indian design from antiquity to the present day. The book explores the elements that make Indian design so special, including the varied manufacturing and decorating techniques of the country’s incredibly skilled craftsmen, highly specialized object designs that have been refined over centuries, and ongoing responses to nature, technology, and necessity. The objects were chosen for their enduring quality and beauty, and their integral connection to Indian culture. Rather than following a chronological order or concentrating on the (often anonymous) designers, this book separates the objects into abstract categories anchored by Hindi words chosen to illuminate how each object fits into the lives of Indians. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1694016022154-X7C6D4I88AHHXR4UE8ID/Screen+Shot+2023-09-06+at+11.59.27+AM.png PUBLICATIONS - SĀR: The Essence of Indian Design, Phaidon Press 2016 Co Authored by Rashmi Varma & Swapnaa Tamhane Photography by Prarthna Singh Press: https://www.architecturaldigest.in/content/book-review-sar-essence-indian-design/ https://design-anthology.com/story/sar-the-essence-of-indian-design https://artreview.com/ara-summer-2016-book-sar-the-essence-of-indian-design-and-new-thai-style/ https://www.vogue.com/article/design-books-around-the-world https://www.bestdesignbooks.eu/sar-essence-indian-design/ https://www.vervemagazine.in/arts-and-culture/viewing-india-through-the-lens-of-kitsch https://www.metropolismag.com/design/arts-culture/a-snapshot-of-modern-indian-design-in-200-objects/ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518678757-P6NAR5ITJSICWDTTKDBK/bajajscooter%2Cmedium_large.1482216352.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1548229841632-HBT2F298T8AKKTS2C3BK/pg1.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518678891-Z93UMEHGTZZMBPSUQWVI/13%2Cmedium_large.1483984520.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628443272512-K0EDMUYLV0J8N38NWL28/9780714870502-photo-2.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518679197-6B96G86LREG6Z77BFIMX/7a%2Cmedium_large.1483972977.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518679299-CWMRZUE5B1JPMB47K02D/dishrackflatforweb%2Cmedium_large.1566377661.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518679653-HFMFKF1P308APO1KUVJA/11%2Cmedium_large.1483975202.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518679675-HU607XETAT2FG1VWKC4D/7%2Cmedium_large.1486822051.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518680275-ZYGRUEL5QVQWIRTVUX8V/1a%2Cmedium_large.1482317436.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518680325-8CB18OP01TXGL017YCY4/bicycle%2Cmedium_large.1482317115.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518680835-XV6FHEFOAZSVZQDXN542/iyengarblocks%2Cmedium_large.1482317152.jpeg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518680879-8RJQMIEDDERZF3P3MFEK/chanapatnatoy%2Cmedium_large.1482317234.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518681265-JDBPSBSIFE4EMW0WGT8W/ambassadorfull%2Cmedium_large.1482317162.jpeg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518681370-2AQKB1UX2THK834GNG4I/chaiglasses%2Cmedium_large.1482317241.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518681768-5LGDTWIV2ZXDPUXE1DAV/10%2Cmedium_large.1483974616.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518682000-KBX5O0IZQG9SOC7JYDOD/rehal%2Cmedium_large.1566378039.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518682234-IMWX5QLMQWQHIJ6QN6P4/8%2Cmedium_large.1483973419.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518682892-PM1CXII4Z7T001E8KP3N/8a%2Clarge.1486822253.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518682801-NN0QG4R20TGCGF12WHM6/ceramiceyes%2Cmedium_large.1483988469.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518683305-8KWHHOBBYX6N9NR80095/12%2Cmedium_large.1483982596.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518683343-4KQML75RJGCA0I0SIF5F/salwar%2Cmedium_large.1566377904.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628518683854-AQSAKARULXVE6KJ8LNV9/10a%2Cmedium_large.1486823105.jpg PUBLICATIONS https://www.rashmivarma.com/exhibitions daily 0.75 2026-04-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1775505586882-JN40CF5ZB7FL4JK0OHU5/Offbeat+Sari+Title.jpeg Exhibitions - The Offbeat Sari, Design Museum, 2023-2026. London, Amsterdam, Birmingham, Melbourne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1775505586882-JN40CF5ZB7FL4JK0OHU5/Offbeat+Sari+Title.jpeg Exhibitions - The Offbeat Sari, Design Museum, 2023-2026. London, Amsterdam, Birmingham, Melbourne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1775505129102-PLSONG92547MSMBM2QQ9/2x1+Sari+Yellow.jpeg Exhibitions - 2x1 Haldi Sari The Offbeat Sari, 2023-2026 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628535252967-PAVTGYLLYITFBBAHDJN8/image-asset.jpeg Exhibitions https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1775505145443-KC2ZLFBDV9Q3MA2B14JC/Kumari+Sari+Dress.jpeg Exhibitions - Kumari Twice Loved Saridress The Offbeat Sari, 2023-2026 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628536254856-GO48D0JAQYGQLK5MOOI9/image-asset.jpeg Exhibitions - The Fabric of India, V&A Museum, 2015. London 2015 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1548350254660-6XGTH8WO3IXRAH723CH0/rashmi+varma+fabric+of+india+va.jpg Exhibitions - Indigo Sari Dress, 2015 Fabric of India, V&A https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1548350310518-SI5OZUH23B7Y8R2AR816/IMG_1121.jpg Exhibitions https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628537528944-V75P0Q6ZWYSUIKESOLGH/rashmi%2Bvarma%2Bembroidery%2Bparlor.jpg Exhibitions - Miss Rashmi’s Embroidery Parlour, 2008 Dyed Roots: The Emergence of New Culture, Museum of Contemporary Art https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628537657206-8EYSK6KD7A68Z07G7Y3W/107.jpg Exhibitions - Installation View, Miss Rashmi's Embroidery Parlour https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628537743882-XQ2PV5EQ8FN2X57T6DU8/103.jpg Exhibitions - Installation View, Miss Rashmi's Embroidery Parlour https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628538286152-R1GTQ6ZEE1PTY2THGYAC/EX-2008-Cutting-Edge-003.jpg Exhibitions - Installation View, The Cutting Edge, 2008 The Cutting Edge, The Textile Museum of Canada https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628535712046-TEVH65P08JZQSU1XDYXD/love%252Bhate%252B1.jpg Exhibitions - Collection 00, 2007 LOVE/HATE: New Crowned Glory G.T.A., Museum of Contemporary Art https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628535771092-P0CETKQYQG8S64Z60SI1/lovehate%252B2.jpg Exhibitions - Detail, Collection 00, 2007 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1629041468439-1Y3ABIBKJNCD3VQ220EI/image-asset.jpeg Exhibitions - Peace Taxi, 2003 SAVAC (South Asian Visual Arts Centre) Conceived by Rashmi Varma with Rachel Kapana James. Curated by Cyrus Irani. Documentary by Riaz Mehmood Peace Taxi was an art project that presented site-specific artworks inside and around Toronto taxis for the month of August 2003 while incubating cross-cultural conversations about race, public space and labour in the aftermath of the attacks on 11 September 2001. This collection highlights those artistic interventions while offering resources for those interested in studying more about the history of taxi work in Toronto and artistic responses to 9/11 more broadly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1628536405117-T7L0Q7BE34LJOMBSEJJM/image-asset.jpeg Exhibitions - Installation View, Indigo Sari Dress https://www.rashmivarma.com/curatorial daily 0.75 2026-04-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1549960883125-8E4UBWOPU4EPBJJ0PD5W/Mattersofhand-HR-002+%281%29.jpg CURATORIAL - Matters of Hand: Craft, Design & Technique Rashmi Varma, Curator Serendipity Arts Festival, Goa 2018 This exhibition venerates the handmade as experienced through objects of utility ranging from recent innovations to ubiquitous objects found in public and private spaces throughout India. Matters of Hand: Craft, Design, and Technique includes objects such as kitchen utensils, storage, furniture, or lighting that are imbued with a thought process, an aesthetic integrity that extend from the karigars/craftspeople/designers/artists/artisans themselves. The objects demonstrate that notions of ‘craft’ move along a continuum threaded into a dynamic past and a fast-approaching future. Whether an object has been in existence for millennia or created in our contemporary time, what is included in this exhibition exemplifies a resistance to the ongoing discourse of modern vs. traditional that pervades handmade design. The hands, the eyes, the feet, or the movements of the human body are the primary tools of thinking and making that ingeniously transform precious raw materials into objects drawn from the vast Indian landscape. The very essence of these natural, indigenous materials is integral to the design, such as the pliability of katlamara bamboo, the translucency of makrana marble, the sonorous rhythm of kansa bell metal, or the regional clays that transition from earth into burnt terracotta or milk white pottery. Environmental concerns and economic resources are further explored through the use of recycled materials, namely plastic and repurposed furniture that mirror the 21st century. Lost-wax casting, weaving, metal beating, marble carving, block printing, lathe-turning, embroidering or inlaying are some of the techniques employed. Geometry, symmetry, colour, and texture reveal the inherent nature of these elegant forms and announce their presence in an increasingly homogenized world. Some works included here have been realized through formal working relationships within a two-way system of knowledge-transfer between practitioners and other works made independently in urban and rural environments. A profound respect is shared for traditional modes of techniques and cultural expression; however some works are not driven by these methods and thereby push process and find new expression. Others adhere closer to ideas which have persisted throughout time and space demonstrating refinement and artistry, whist some objects are spontaneously designed from a lack of resources. Design is a cohesive attitude that applies to cultural, social, economic, and environmental systems that create and define “craft” which in turn inform a way of thinking and living. Artists: AKFD, Claymen, Avani, Chato Kuosto, Heirloom Naga, Ira Studio, Ishan Khosla, Jeenath Beevi, Kamli Devi, Meena Devi, Olivia Dar, Phantom Hands, Pio Coffrant & JIO Foundation, Rajiben Murji Vankar, Ramju Ali, Rooshad Shroff, Sandeep Sangaru, Senthil Kumar & Jaya Kumar, Shed, SEWA Lucknow, Suraj Prakash Maharana, Swapnaa Tamhane, Salemamad D. Khatri & Muskesh P. Prajapati, Tara Books, The Kishkinda Trust, Tiipoi, Venkataka Krishna, Yasanche, Zilu Kumbhar Exhibition Design: Reha Sodhi Exhibition Photography: Philippe Calia https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1693596416742-VFAFAMI3VTIMGOA03LNP/offbeatsari2.jpg CURATORIAL - The Offbeat Sari Rashmi Varma, Associate Curator The Design Museum, London, 2023 Woven from steel. Stitched from hand-distressed denim. Knotted, pleated or belted. Worn in protest, celebration, or simply on the daily commute. The offbeat sari is the sari radically reimagined by designers, wearers and makers for a diverse, contemporary world. Conventionally a single piece of unstitched fabric, the sari’s unfixed form is inherently fluid. Its many different shapes and textures, adapted over the course of millennia, reflect identity, social class, environment and function — and immense creativity. The sari is a language expressed through fabric, which has been intertwined with evolving cultural influences over time. In the past decade, the sari has been re-energised. Designers catering to a new generation across India’s burgeoning cities are experimenting with new drapes and innovative materials. Younger women, who previously associated the sari with dressing up, have transformed it into contemporary everyday fashion. Individuals are also embodying saris in ways that give voice to who they are, exploring plural and nonconforming identities, and challenging conventions of femininity. This exhibition explores the creative, often unexpected ways in which the sari is a site for design innovation and an empowering vessel for self-expression in India today. Photography by Andy Stagg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1775494892479-0RJL3GSGZ6IHOHKN68HB/SAF2025-Infinite+drape-001_SD+%281%29.jpg CURATORIAL - Infinite Drape Serendipity Arts Festival 10th Edition, Goa, 2025 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1548234441347-T6O68MKD56BLPPTLK7K9/IMG_9451.JPG CURATORIAL https://www.rashmivarma.com/costumes-1 daily 0.75 2026-04-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1775493245177-CIEU7V8SWY2POTXCJFNC/FunnyBoy1web.jpeg Costumes - Funny Boy, 2020 Directed by Deepa Mehta, Hamilton-Mehta Productions https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1775484988805-4742MM8AJ38Q6SUOR0MY/Screenshot%2B2026-04-05%2Bat%2B8.08.14%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png Costumes - Winged, 2024 Sonia St-Michel Creations https://www.rashmivarma.com/film-1 daily 0.75 2026-04-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1775497590003-MKI1WRDPW0PY1RR8ZLGA/FunnyBoy1web.jpeg Film - Funny Boy, 2020 Directed by Deepa Mehta, Hamilton-Mehta Productions https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1775497590003-MKI1WRDPW0PY1RR8ZLGA/FunnyBoy1web.jpeg Film - Funny Boy, 2020 Directed by Deepa Mehta, Hamilton-Mehta Productions https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1775497537336-HCQ43EQDE922VXQEZ8YO/image-asset.jpeg Film - Cooking With Stella, 2009 Directed by Dilip Mehta, Hamilton-Mehta Productions https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52378864e4b04e9390b69568/1775497607335-VIN8B303K5A0BKK0BVUK/hearth1web.jpeg Film - Heaven on Earth, 2008 Directed by Deepa Mehta, Hamilton-Mehta Productions https://www.rashmivarma.com/contactme daily 0.75 2022-05-31 https://www.rashmivarma.com/about daily 0.75 2024-02-22 https://www.rashmivarma.com/about-forte daily 0.75 2025-05-12