Carol Gracias and Haseena at Good Earth Ratnakara launch

GoodEarth launched RATNAKARA: Gems of the Indian Ocean. As you may know GoodEarth launches one new collection each year. For the year 2013-2014 their new collection is titled’RATNAKARA Gems of the Indian Ocean’. Since ancient times, the Sanskrit name for the Indian Ocean has been Ratnakara, ‘the creator of gems,’ referencing the thousands of jewel-like volcanic islands with mineral rich soil which created a seemingly unending supply of precious gems. GOODEARTH celebrates the lush beauty of the islands of the Indian Ocean and the cultural influence of India on the lands that rim this vast ocean of blue.

The Ratnakara collection was launched at Good Earth. Seen at the soirée were eminent personalities like Simran Lal, Beenu Bawa, Anita Dongre, Carol Gracious, Architect Ashiesh Shah, Deveika Bhojwani, Fahad Samar, Rahul Akerkar, Haseena Jethmalani, Kahini Arte Merchant, Lina Tipnis, Malavika Sanghvi, Narendra Kumar, Smita Parekh, Sunila Duggal, Raman Lamba, Shona Urvashi and many more.

Venue: Good Earth, Raghuvanshi Mills, Lower Parel.
The two highlights of Indian philosophical thought, Vedanta and Buddhism, had a far-reaching influence throughout the region connected by the Indian Ocean. This influence was not achieved through force but through the depth of the philosophy, mythology, culture and spirit of the Indian subcontinent. Through the RATNAKARA Design Collection, we explore the common threads that culturally bind the islands with the Indian subcontinent.

We share with our tea-land neighbors:
• batik printing and ikat weaving using indigo dyes,
• the use of unstitched cloth like the lungi, dhoti and sari,
• ritual offerings of fragrant and colorful flowers like the lotus, champaka, hibiscus, frangipani with incense sticks.

The RATNAKARA Collection also celebrates the flora and fauna that is common across the region. This year our design stories feature peacocks, elephants and tigers amidst the palms, heliconias and creepers of tropical rain forests. Ratnakara, the creator of gems, the vast ocean of unending blue, home to an empire of the spirit.