Æquō presents Cédric Courtin: Living Archive

Mumbai, 27 September 2022: For æquō’s second collectible design show, the gallery is delighted to present Living Archive, a collection designed in collaboration with Cédric Courtin, founder of the Ateliers Courtin workshops based in the Pondicherry-Auroville belt. Known for his research and development in techniques around leatherwork, Courtin’s craftsmanship was for a long time a carefully guarded secret of the fashion world. With a global reputation as one of the most innovative ateliers in luxury, he has collaborated with a roll call of artistic directors, often on ultra-limited edition catwalk pieces and on weaving samples so conceptual that they exist only in tiny panels archived in his Tamil Nadu studio. ​ ​
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​For æquō, Courtin has applied his signature leather wrapping to a series of objects curated from across North East India. Forms used as leather moulds during Courtin’s prototyping, which are usually removed at the end of the shaping process, inspire the fusion of material. ​
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​For example, a wooden stool that might have been used to produce a bucket bag, exhibits various forms of embellishment, each fitted with couture precision. The familiar silhouette of a traditional Naga chair is contemporised with enveloping softness. And a collection of trays and plates all come with a new tactile touch.
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​Each piece in Courtin’s collaboration with æquō showcases a different technique drawn from his rarely seen archive. Fringing, braiding, embossing, interlacing and basket weaving are all employed in finishes that are impossible to appreciate on appearance only. Behind the simplicity: hours of handwork, years of development and unmatched knowledge of his noble material. ​
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​NOTE TO EDITORS ​
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​Mumbai
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​Address: Devidas Mansion, Unit N° 11, 1st Floor, B K Boman Behram Marg, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001, India
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​Opening Hours: 11 - 7pm Monday / 11 - 4pm Tuesday
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​By appointment ​
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​ABOUT Æquō ​
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​Collectable design gallery æquō was conceived by Founder Tarini Jindal Handa and Creative Director Florence Louisy, following a chance meeting in Paris in 2019 when the two discussed the absence of collectable design in India and the importance of preserving the heritage of Indian craftsmanship. ​
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​The gallery, based in the historic district of Colaba, Mumbai, opened its doors in early 2022 and envisions an equal dialogue between makers, designers and materials creating bespoke furniture and interior objects. It is by exploring and claiming this intersection that æquō has become India’s first-ever gallery dedicated to contemporary collectable design. ​
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​æquō’s goal is to connect global minds with Indian resources in order to create new lenses and unique languages with which to revisit the country’s heritage. This is achieved by inviting international designers to immerse themselves within India’s deeply rooted craft techniques and to work collaboratively with æquō’s extensive network of skilled artisans
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​ABOUT TARINI JINDAL HANDA
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​Tarini Jindal Handa, born in India, is æquō’s founder.
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​Third generation entrepreneur, Tarini was raised experiencing the tradition of arts patronage first hand; her grandmother started Kanoria Centre of Arts,  the first artist residency in India and her mother founded the Art Magazine of India. Tarini was drawn to the creative industries from a young age. ​
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​Her studies in Fashion Marketing at the American University in London led her to open India’s first multi brand fashion store called Muse. But the pull towards cultural preservation, craftsmanship and design innovation was too strong, leading her to change course and eventually closing the store. Shortly after she began to explore the world of architecture and real estate. ​ ​ ​ ​
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​Working for JSW Realty, she was able to connect with local craftspeople, cementing her desire to champion cultural preservation and innovation within the design and artisan spheres. ​ This led her to found æquō in early 2022 - India’s very first collectible design gallery. Based in Colaba, Mumbai’s historical centre, æquō’s goal is to introduce the global design community to Indian materials and craftsmanship, creating a new way of seeing the country’s rich and diverse heritage. ​
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​In an ongoing commitment to cultivate and showcase India’s social and cultural legacies, Tarini envisions æquō as an experimental project that transcends borders and democratises its participants.
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​For media enquiries please contact Camron PR:
​Francesca Formenti | francesca.formenti@camronpr.com ​ ​