01 February,2011 10:02 AM IST | | Kumar Saurav
In the curious lanes of Hauz Khas Village, yet another young designer, Rohit Kant, is trying his luck
Hauz Khas Village is a 'village' in many ways. Though it's right in the middle of the posh South Delhi, it isn't connected by any means of public transport (hiring an auto is almost impossible), the roads, it appears, have never been repaired, and the streets are so narrow that you pray to god that you should've been a snake, not human.
Still, there's no better place in the Capital than Hauz Khas Village if you want to buy chic non-branded products, eat authentic food, and meet up with people who live by their rules. Unlike most of his classmates at NIFT, Rohit Kant decided to chuck ramp and open his own store of accessories. We dropped in at his month-old outlet to check out his works. Here's what we've to say.
Not just any other store
While buying accessories for cars is as easy as it can get, the same is not the case for bikes. If you go around the town to buy a designer helmet, you'll return home disappointed. But the first things that hold your attention at this outlet are the hand-painted helmets. He even paints vintage telephones, railway clocks, pocket watches, shoes, ties, cigarette cases, lighters, bags and fuel tanks. Every product that you see on display flaunts a completely new meaning and identity. "I paint almost everything and anything that I see.
But I shouldn't be expected to act like a weirdo. Recently, a guy dropped in and asked if I can make Swarovski- studded shoes. I refused. For Valentine's Day, people are asking me to design similar or hand-painted underwear. How am I supposed to react to such queries?," asks the artist.
Customise it
Rohit is not one of those retailers who've powerful backup of rich parents and of designers who'll come to your parties to sip wine and endorse your work. "The rent is high, plus, there are other challenges, but the clientele is shaping up positively," adds the artist who's also helping out some filmmakers with promotional activities.
"For the customisation works, I sit with clients for hours because it takes time to understand what they want, and then make them visualise how the product will look once I work on it," adds Rohit.
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Affordable, not cheap
We've been conditioned to believe that art has to be expensive, but many people are trying to break that myth and making sure that it doesn't cost a bomb to hang your favourite painting on the wall.
A massive Che Guevara painting costs you just Rs 9,800 while other canvas works start at as low as Rs 5,890. Says the 24-year-old designer: "The pricing is reasonable but the quality can be compared to the best in town. Plus, the customisation can be fitted into your budget. So no one would return disappointed." Neither did we.
By Rohit Kant
At: T 49, Hauz Khas Village
Timings: 11.30 to 7.30 pm (Monday off)
Ring: 9560709313, 9560709315
Also available at: Arts.i, 7 Atmaram Mansion, Level 1,Scindia House, Kasturba Gandhi Marg
Timings: 10 am to 11 pm
Ring: 43727000
