Milan Design Week
Craftsmanship in the digital age
overview
Milan Design
Week 2019

Come and experience

Milan Design Week 2019

Meet us at Circus Concept Store from 9 - 14 April!

We invite you to experience the many ways that traditional craftsmanship can enrich modern-day design thinking. We invite you to share your design projects with us in order to see how we can collaborate on adding that extra dimension to your project.

Via Medici 15, Milan

Our Milan Design Week installation showcases the impact of traditional craftsmanship on modern design. The possibilities of combining time-honoured crafts with futuristic ideas that are only limited by the imagination of the creator.

Direct Create bridges the gap between tradition and innovation to define a new collaborative future for sustainable artisanal crafts.
About us
At the core
directcreate brand logo

Direct Create (DC) is India’s first digital creative platform connecting local artisans to a global network of designers and buyers to collaborate and co-create handcrafted products. Fostering a community of over 15,000 handpicked artisans and designers, we create an organic connection between makers and buyers.

India is renowned for its tradition of fine handcrafted goods. Direct Create allows buyers to customize products, shop a curated selection of premium artisan goods and experience the timeless beauty of Indian craftsmanship.

Service Areas

Design Create operates in three service areas to connect buyers, designers and artisans, and make handmade crafts accessible to a wider market.

Project Management

We work with buyers and retailers to elevate their product offering by planning and developing a unique portfolio of handcrafted goods.

Design Collaboration

We take a collaborative approach to design innovation, creating connections between interdisciplinary creatives to develop design solutions that range from premium products to experiential spaces and large-scale projects.


Production

We orchestrate the end-to-end development of project life cycles with a specialization in design, manufacturing processes and project execution from concept to delivery.

Design
and
Craft

Artisanal Craft Meets

Innovative Design

Design
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Craft
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Design

Imagine what can happen when designers collaborate with traditionally-trained artisans to re-imagine the possibilities of their ideas; when local artisans apply modern materials, techniques or trends to elevate the overall quality and originality of design.

Craft

Our world is filled with the wealth of diverse art and craft that celebrates local cultures, tells mythical tales and shares stories of love and adventure. We work directly with hundreds of artisans to preserve their tradition of craftsmanship.

Community
Building
and
empowering

Collaboration.
Co-creation.
Community.

Direct Create is dedicated to connecting India’s artisanal traditions with the global marketplace to create a new design paradigm – one that drives innovation, spurs creativity and empowers communities.

Direct Create operates under the guiding principle that, collectively, we can make good things happen. It is with this in mind that we imagined a platform fueled by collaboration– a creative community united by a shared desire to push the boundaries of what is possible in the world of design. We believe that when unconventional relationships are formed, it unlocks the possibility to create something extraordinary. We invite you to join the community.

Direct

Makers

Makers are given space to explore the boundaries of their traditions and connect their creativity to the global marketplace. This empowers communities and ensures that ancient, beautiful traditions are not lost.

Direct

Designers

Designers can tap into a marketplace of high-quality craftspeople who will transform their ideas into beautifully-handcrafted products. No other platform allows designers to work so intimately and collaboratively with makers.

Direct

Buyers

Buyers can collaborate with makers and designers to commission bespoke products directly from the source. There is no minimum quantity threshold; products are custom-made to your specifications at a fraction of the price.

OUR COLLABORATORS for the

Milan Design Week 2019

  • Wild Ideas

    A community-based cooperative to empower women established on a self sustaining model...

    more
  • C2K

    A new generation of craft persons from Kashmir to become independent and sustainable craft...

    more
  • Satat

    A state of consciousness, about a product’s lifecycle from conception to cessation...

    more
  • Elan

    Pastel hues, bold patterns and playful sophistication is what Elan is about...

    more
  • Kesya

    Kesya focuses on re-invigorating an interest in traditional Rajasthani arts and crafts...

    more

We are the

Future

We believe that technology will give rise to a truly global creative economy: designers and artisans collaborating to create new trends; multinational brands partnering with small local producers; buyers seeking opportunities to make a positive impact.

Our digital platform - available online and via mobile app - connects these communities like never before, facilitating seamless collaboration, co-creation and commerce across the globe.

Design Trends

2019-2020

Our work leads us on a constant quest to discover the influences, trends and moments that drive inspiration around the world. Here we present a small selection the influences currently fueling India’s venerable craft heritage – these trends will impact the world of design into 2020.

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Natural & Artistic

Art is an expression of our relationship to the natural environment - and design that plays with the contrast of hard and soft, natural and manmade.

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Eclectic Infusion

An eclectic combination of traditional design, modern prints and natural materials.

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Playful Emotion

Experimental designs are intended to spark joy in anyone who experiences them.

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Storytelling & Wonder

Puppetry, a storytelling tradition that delights the ages, can take several forms and employ different mediums.

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Sustainable Elegance

Sustainability and environmental consciousness have strongly influenced design initiatives in recent years.

The Impact of Collaborative

Innovation and Design

Collaboration is the propelling force behind design, innovation and impact. It’s about coming together to find new approaches to ordinary problems. It’s the mixing of experiences, cultures, traditions and techniques to create something truly remarkable.

How we
collaborate

Technology is the vehicle that drives collaboration. It enables humans to connect across lingual, cultural and geographical barriers. Direct Create democratises the creative process to empower creative minds to create well-designed spaces and high-quality goods.

Ongoing
collaborations
# Thali Project

The Thali project unpacks the design aesthetic, tradition and functionality of the platter. The spirit of this project underscores how the sharing of food – often served on the iconic platter – can unite individuals through shared sensual experience when no connection exists.

# micro homes

We bring traditional craftsmanship to scale with handcrafted micro homes. These architectural works of innovation are our latest collaborative venture, combining local artistry with cutting-edge technology to create sustainable living spaces.

futuristic
ideas

Our

Projects

Our Milan Design Week installation showcases the impact of traditional craftsmanship on modern design. The possibilities of combining time-honored crafts with futuristic ideas are only limited by the imagination of the creator.

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Jal Mahal

Monumental Transformation

To bring the Jal Mahal back to its former glory, the team collaborated with more than 400 craftsmen and artists from across Rajasthan. They recruited experts from around the world and harnessed the skills of local craftsmen and masons for the extensive overhaul.

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Jal Mahal

The magical revival of the Jal Mahal monument, an 18th-century floating pleasure palace of royalty, and its surroundings, transformed the historic building from a crumbling environmental disaster and toxic wasteland into the shining glory of Jaipur.

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Lehariya

Located at the heart of Jaipur’s emerging commercial district in the Rajasthan region, Lehariya is a finely-crafted business destination that integrates traditional values with modern-day enterprise. Famous for its flowing patterns inspired by waves or ‘lehar,’ ‘Lehariya’ is a tie-dyeing craft technique native to Rajasthan.

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Lehariya

The craft is the inspiration for Lehariya’s facade, as well as the root of its name. This facade is not only aesthetically pleasing, but has a functional benefit as well: by absorbing and deflecting much of the direct sunlight, it keeps the towers cool.

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Swadesh Bazaar

The Swadesh Bazaar was an immersive experience into India’s deep cultural heritage, curated and designed by Direct Create. 108 crafts - a sacred number with roots in ancient mysticism - were showcased to represent each and every state of India.

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Swadesh Bazaar

Commissioned by the Reliance Foundation, an Indian philanthropic initiative driving sustainable development across India, the exhibition was initiated to encourage the craftsmanship of traditional Indian artisans, with a special focus on preserving and reviving indigenous craft traditions.

Our Crafts

India’s art and craft traditions transcend materials, styles and forms. From mythological to vernacular, they embody local cultures and beliefs, and tell stories of shared values, experiences, skills and life. We’ve curated a diverse collection to represent the potential that exists in the craft space. Let us introduce you to the fresh, modern world of India’s craft inheritance. Allow yourself to get inspired.

ajrakh zari embroidery

ajrakh zari embroidery

benaras wood carving

benaras wood carving

partner Jilling Terraces

bidri ware

buddha soap stone from odisa

buddha soap stone from odisa

>dohar quilt

dohar quilt

hand blown glass work

hand blown glass work

marbel inlay

marbel inlay

palm leaf weaving

palm leaf weaving

pashmina shawl

pashmina shawl

suf embroidery

suf embroidery

wood block ear rings

wood block ear rings

Collaboration
Imagine & Create

A New Age of

Tradition and Design

Direct Create launched in 2016 as an e-commerce platform connecting artisans and designers. Today, we have evolved into India’s only digital creative community platform bringing artisans, designers and buyers together to co-create bespoke handcrafted goods. Our aim is to revolutionize the field of design, while supporting the legacy of India's oldest craft traditions and sustaining communities. Let’s collaborate and continue to collectively make good things happen.

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