What a Hoot!

In 2011, when designer Aditi Bajpai launched her label Almirah, a brand that specialises in children’s clothing, bedding and accessories, she wanted it to champion everything Indian. “I am greatly inspired by Indian jungles and wanted to bring old Indian motifs back. India’s connect with the owl goes a long way back. It’s goddess Lakshmi’s vahana, you find stories of the wise owl in the Panchatantra. We have had the owl long before JK Rowling made it popular,” she says. Bajpai has been working with the owl motif for the last two years and has now diversified from prints on nightwear to cushions shaped like owls and owl embroideries.

In India, across home décor stores, the owl can now be seen occupying pride of place on napkins and blankets, tea cups and glasses, on watches, coin purses and cushion covers.

Nutan Lakra, 34, an instructional designer based out of Noida, first began collecting owl curios as early as 2012. “I love buying quirky stuff and what can be more kitschy than carrying an owl bag? Using owl patterns in your room makes it livelier and colourful. Besides, owls stand for wisdom. So, I’d like to believe my fascination with the owl has made me wiser,” she says.

Chumbak, which specialises in kitschy home décor products and apparel, first incorporated the owl motif in its T-shirts in 2012. Since then, it has popped up across their vast product range — on dinner plates and watches, bobbleheads and cushion covers, posters, coasters and key rings. “At the moment, the owl motif is most popular on wrist watches and bobbleheads,” says Shubhra Chadda, co-founder of the brand.

But Lakra says the popularity of the owl is on its last legs now. “In the beginning, owl motifs were off-beat. More and more designers are using it in their work and most of it has become repetitive,” she says.

Mehta agrees that the trend is on its last leg, but that does not mean that there will be a decline in demand. “One of the age brackets we cater to is girls from late teens to early twenties. This age group prefers kitsch, and so, the owl doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere yet,” he says.