A ‘Treaty’ Sealed in Trinkets

By working with skilled artisans from strife-torn areas,the label helps the designers build bridges with other cultures and places. It also supports the local crafts and brings forward a high-end collection of scarves and jewellery meant for an international fashion audience. The jewellery collection available at Bungalow 8 has earrings,rings,cuffs and necklaces inspired by the nomadic tribes of the Thar desert and the Turkoman tribes of Central Asia.

“Each piece takes old relics and myths from lost cities and ancient civilizations. For instance,we resuscitated camel-bone carving for our Thar jewellery line. The Thar desert gypsy traditions are the same in Pakistan and India. But sadly,the borderline makes it seem that they are two different worlds. This apart,we also bought wooden looms for artisans in Pakistan,who had to give up the family tradition due to a lack of demand. They now make scarves for us,” Malik elaborates.

Their label has found fans in the likes of Jennifer Lopez,Claire Danes and Christina Aguilera,among many others. Malik,who is looking forward to visiting India soon,says they were approached by American fashion house Ralph Lauren to do a two-season collaboration project for its Rugby brand. “It was amazing to see handloom scarves made in Pakistani villages being sold in all the Ralph Lauren Rugby stores across the US,” she says.