THE TOILET

Yes, we made an Indian toilet ashtray.  It seemed somewhat evident to us to have made one, given the prevalence of the nicotine-aided morning routine in India. What we did not expect, however, was the massively positive response our new object would get from our community online.

Of the commonplace subcontinental objects we've explored through clothing and accessories, the ever-iconic Indian W.C. was one we had no idea how people would respond to.

We constantly look to our surroundings for inspiration. We consider intentional observation the keystone of our design process - and that very much includes objects we regard with disgust. The taboo around the Indian toilet is near-impermeable - like so many other tools of daily Indian life that carry with them a colonial baggage that associates them with low status.

Inherent to our ethos as a brand is adjusting the lens with which we view our own lives - the gaze with which we look at the things we use daily. Everyday objects from India deserve to be treated with a level of aesthetic interest, to be bases for explorative thinking. Pulling items from their immediate contexts and framing them in a new light allows us to play with the static, purely utilitarian strain of thought we've been taught to look at them with.

Stamps, Postal service documentation, chatais, official logos, matchboxes, Indian toilets - when lifted from their natural surroundings, Indian objects serve as dynamic symbols of the everyday we can toy with.

Ultimately, we just wanted to make a cool ashtray - and we're glad you resonated. Flush gently after use.