Hampi craft and high fashion

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">Let''s do something for Hampi. You can begin by attending this five-day event at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) campus from November 11. This week-long event will dedicate an entire day to Hampi, where they will showcase the dying crafts and culture of Hampi.<br />NIFT Week is being organised jointly by NIFT in association with the state department of tourism and department of Kannada and culture.Hampi Day on November 12 will have a crafts bazaar, an exhibition of Hampi visuals, a Lambani workshop and also Dollunkunitha.<br />Primarily, NIFT is looking at remoulding old craft in a new way to encorporate it into modern lifestyles. For example students will work with the artisans to create mobile phone holders with a Lambani touch or an ash tray with silver Bidri work.<br />Giving Hampi a boost is part of NIFT''s four-year cluster development project and over the next four years, students of NIFT will visit Hampi and learn their crafts. Hema Maya, director, NIFT, told <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Bangalore Times </span>that Hampi was a natural choice as it is undoubtedly the most beautiful and inspirational of all ruins in Karnataka. "Therefore we thought of dedicating an entire day to showcase Hampi''s rich heritage. In the 13th Century, Hampi''s markets were a riot of colour, with their exquisite handicrafts and silks. But over the years it''s undergone changes," she says.<br />Modernisation has made it difficult for Hampi''s people to create a niche for themselves. And so the upmarket platform that NIFT offers will make it possible for Hampi''s artisans to market themselves during the festival. "We have design, management and technological expertise at our institute. NIFT will provide these artisan the platform to exhibit and follow it up with a campaign offering marketing approaches to showcase and sell their work," adds Maya.<br />She also believes that their exotic crafts will drive the fashion and design industry in the future. "For example, people don''t buy vases with Bidri work because they don''t know its value. Our students will therefore learn and apply this Bidri work to say, a paper weight or clock," she adds.<br />NIFT Week will focus on all the work that NIFT students have been doing during their course. NIFT Week will also have inter-collegiate events, dances, quizzes and much more, including a mask-making workshop for students. Says Maya, "Earlier, it was only done by NIFT, Delhi. This is the first year we''re doing it and we will make it an annual event. It will help bring in locals to understand what exactly happens at NIFT." </div> </div>