Interesting

Design matters. Whether functionally or aesthetically, we’re of the school of thought that it’s one of the pillars societal evolution stands on, even if most people tend to be dissonant about its contribution to the world.

In a place like Mumbai, design may not seem to dictate anyone’s lives considering how pillar-to-post one has to be to survive and the chaos only serves as a shield to all the varied colours, landmarks, iconic motifs and lives that speckles its streets. But even in the midst of all this diversity, everything seems to create their own webs around the most iconic of them all—-the classic ‘kaali-peelis.’ The black-and-yellow taxis, these seemingly old-school fiats represent its pulse and are such an integral part of its culture. So why not make them as beautiful as what they stand for? Graphic designer Sanket Avlani’s initiative Taxi Fabric aims to do just that.

He tells us, “Taxis in India, particularly in Mumbai, are not only the most convenient form of transport but have also become an iconic piece of culture. Design, as a profession or even simply something studied at school, is unfortunately not widely recognized in India. We put two and two together and started connecting designers with taxi drivers – turning seat covers into canvasses for young Indian designers to show off their design talent and storytelling skills.”