INDIA IN FASHION
NMACC, MUMBAI

India in Fashion: The Impact of Indian Dress and Textiles on the Fashionable Imagination explores the layered impact that traditional Indian dress, textiles and craft have had on the international fashion sensibility since the 18th century. Studio ZNA were invited to design and commission the lighting for this extraordinary exhibition; curated by Hamish Bowles, and designed by Patrick Kinmoth with Rooshad Shroff. 

Whether it is transparent muslins, whimsical chintzes conceived on the Coromandel Coast, the varied draperies of the sari and dhoti, or the botehs of Kashmir’s shawls, the treasury of India’s sartorial and textile traditions have provided inspiration to royal courts, European haute couture like Dior, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, contemporary design visionaries, and even global fast fashion. The first exhibition of its kind in India, the show also traces the birth and development of the contemporary Indian fashion community.

The exhibition design is a sequence of whimsical rooms inspired by India’s rich architectural traditions through the centuries, which frame the clothes that have evolved alongside them. This combined with the sheer scale of the centre’s halls gave us an amazing canvas to light - on the low level we designed bespoke lighting solutions in each room for the intricate and stunning fabrics while maintaining stringent conservation levels and at high level we used theatrical light fittings with dmx and colour mixing control to create a specific, dramatic lit scenography for each section where the visitor enters and is immersed in the scene. Each section has a bespoke lighting approach both at high and low level with meticulous detailing into setworks.

This exhibition set within the new Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center in Mumbai is part of the grand innauguration of this cultural space. Studio ZNA were instrumental in informing the lighting protocols around such an important collection and leading the electrical and lighting  teams to a successful delivery.

Exhibition Design:  Patrick Kinmoth with Rooshad Shroff
Curated by: Hamish Bowels and Molly Sorkin
Production: 70EMG
Associate Lighting Designer: Eby Vincent Matthew
RIL team: Sarosh Quraishi and Lydia ButhelloPictures courtesy: ‘India in Fashion’ at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, Mumbai

Awards -

IES Award - Award of Merit 2024