Narmada / Supriya Lele

In 2019, British-Indian designer Supriya Lele enlisted the help of photographer Jamie Hawkesworth for a special, and extremely personal, heritage project. Tracing the roots of her family tree, she headed to Jabalpur – a small city in central India, overlooking the holy Narmada river – to document the place and its people, as well as to platform her Spring/Summer 2020 collection. The trip was documented vividly by Hawkesworth, and turned into a the book, titled Narmada

For Lele, the project was a chance to honour her patrilineal heritage, by returning to a place she visited often while growing up. “My fathers family are from Jabalpur,” explains Lele over email, “and the holy river Narmada runs through it. It’s not only of important religious significance but also on a personal level as my father and grandfather’s ashes are scattered in that river.”

She adds that the collaboration with Hawkesworth came about “quite naturally”, with the pair having met through friends. “I've always loved Jamie’s work,” says Lele. “His eye is incredible [and] his attention to detail is amazing.”

-Text taken from AnOther Magazine, 2020, by Dominique Sisley

Condition: Very Good, wear to outer dust jacket