Heart And Craft

Through his newly established training institute in Lucknow, master embroiderer Maximiliano Modesti seeks to preserve ancient craft traditions by empowering the Indian artisan with tools for innovation and entrepreneurship. Sonia Nazareth gets the tour.

- Sonia Nazareth

I have no deeper connection to the Kalhath Institute in Lucknow, than the airline ticket that got me there, and yet I find myself frequently thinking about the distinguished Art Deco building from 1932, committed to the recognition, promotion and sustenance of craft excellence in India. This period edifice was restored and enlarged, to be able to fit the classes it would hold. In an age where putting the squeeze on artisans is not uncommon, it is gratifying to find a place that is working with those it identifies as exceptional in the community, at both the skill and human level.

For those who came in late, Kalhath is the brainchild of French-Italian founder and chairperson Maximiliano Modesti, a craft and fashion entrepreneur, based in both Paris and Mumbai, since the last 25 years. Max, as he’s known, has many laurels that he could be resting on: he’s the founder of Les Ateliers 2M, a design and production centre, which works with brands that chatter with prestige—Hermès, Christian Dior, Saint Laurent, and Isabel Marant, among others. But that’s clearly not enough. Part of his life’s mission is to give back. In 2016, he established the Lucknow Design Trust, a non-profit entity dedicated to the recognition of luxury craft excellence in India. It was out of this trust, that the Kalhath Institute was born in 2017. The training classes organised here aim to develop the all-round skills of artisans with potential. Think: a superlative zardozi craftsman, now being equipped with the tools of market knowledge, design trends, rights-education and the history of fashion.