‘It’s the size of a real elephant’

Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla’s designer elephant makes it to the Top 20.

Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla are giving London a taste of India. The designer duo had been invited to doll up a gigantic fiberglass elephant for Mark Shand’s (Camilla Parker Bowles’ brother) Elephant Parade.

Creations by renowned designers world over were on display, but Jani and Khosla’s ‘rani’ pink elephant covered with henna paintings and adorned with Indian embroidered headgear and ghunghroos (bells) on its feet made its way to the top 20.

That’s a high
“The team got in touch with us in early March and we began preparations. The elephant we designed is the size of a real baby elephant — around 5.5 feet tall,” says Jani, from London.

The duo’s elephant now has the privilege of bagging a prominent spot in Selfridges on Oxford Street, where it will be on display till the show is over. The chosen elephants will then be auctioned by Sotheby’s in June. “This will be followed by a gala dinner,” says Jani.

Indian pride
Khosla couldn’t make it to the event. “Sandeep had to stay back because we had a lot of other orders to deliver. But Mark’s team insisted that at least one of us be present,” says Jani. He adds, “Mark and his team were full of praise for our work and I’m happy that we represented India well.”