ACE jewellery designer Anisha Parmar has teamed up with top style and fashion expert Neelam Mistry-Thaker for the Adorned Narratives 2024 event taking placed from next Friday (19) to Sunday (21) at The Lab E20 in east London.
The three-day culturally rich event includes yoga, a sharing circle, jewellery making, a colour and style workshop, mood-boarding, a community pop up, and space for sharing ideas.
Eastern Eye caught up with the creative duo to discuss their event celebrating the past, present and future.
How did you and Anisha team up?
Neelam: We were both immersing ourselves within our creative practices. We first met at a photoshoot and our paths continued to cross after that. We deeply resonated and aligned in common feelings and reached a sense of true belonging. And now felt like the perfect time to bring our creativity, love for community and the power of storytelling to you all.Tell us about the Adorned Narratives pop up event?
Neelam: Adorned Narratives 2024 is our first collaborative pop up taking place on a beautiful summer weekend during South Asian Heritage Month at the Lab E20 in London. Adorned Narratives has been carefully designed with so much love, attention and community in mind.
Tell us more about the event?
Neelam: This one of a kind pop up promises to leave you feeling uplifted, energised and ready to celebrate your stories. Across three days we will be guiding our guests through the stories of the past, the creativity of the present and the opportunity of the future through the modes of adornment and style.
What are the values behind the Adorned Narratives pop up?
Anisha: The Adorned Narratives pop up was born from a seed of an idea that grew with deep intentions, a bold vision and ultimately, greater purpose. The values underpinning the curation of the pop up include cultural identity, divine feminine energy, belonging, safety, storytelling and narrative, self-expression, wellbeing and celebration.Who are you hoping attends?
Neelam: Our community consists of women from the diaspora and blended cultures who have a keen interest in wellbeing, personal development and exploring their cultural identity. We are creating a space where individuals can find connection, community, and inspiration. The space also allows those who are going through pivotal points in their journeys to break free from societal norms and expectations and develop a sense of belonging.Tell us about your colour and style workshop?
Neelam: I will be introducing guests to the world of colour, colour analysis and the power of your personal style. And in true Adorned Narratives style, attendees will walk away feeling uplifted, energised, and ready to embrace colour. We’ll discuss colour theory and the impact on psychology, the colour seasons and how guests can begin to determine theirs. We’ll have a hands-on colour draping session. I’ll end the workshop with an uplifting visualisation taking guests into their new personal style. It will be a transformative and colourful experience!Tell us about some of the other workshops?
Anisha: After Neelam’s colour and style workshop we will jointly hosting a bodyboarding workshop where we will guide guests through the process of creating their own mood board to unlock their creativity.Tell us about your jewellery making workshop?
Anisha: In my workshop, guests can explore the divine feminine and goddess themes as they create their own unique pieces of wearable art. The afternoon will include artistic exploration and creative fun. The perfect setting to learn the intricate process of jewellery making, from design to the final piece.How important was it for you to make it interactive?
Neelam: Creating a community has been at the heart of Adorned Narratives since we first discussed our core values. We want people to feel seen, heard and valued and so creating an interactive environment where people can connect and share their stories, was integral to the curation of the pop up.What will guests leave with after the three-day pop up?
Anisha: Guests will leave feeling inspired, motivated and energised to celebrate their stories. We really want our community to feel a deep sense of belonging, where they feel safe and ready to embrace their cultural kaleidoscope.Where does the future hold for Adorned Narratives?
Anisha: We really see Adorned Narratives as a yearly festival with new and expanded offerings so we can bring more to the community. We will continue to attract the right partners and allow people to feel uplifted and energised through the work that we do. We really want this to grow and continue to be a celebration of identity and journeys.
Adorned Narratives 2024 at The Lab E20, East Park Walk, London E20 1JB. www.anishaparmar.com and www.eventbrite.co.uk
