Part I.

Introduction

Trancentral sat down with Indian Project to discuss COVID-19, canceled festivals, and the label’s design process. This interview is a three-part series, delving into the world of Psytrance and Goa festival clothing. From long pants to divinely-inspired logos, discover a bit more about the people and stories behind one of our favorite labels.

Q. What is it like living between France and Goa? What are the challenges of moving between two countries?

Let’s go back to 2020...

Luckily, we decided to stay in India in our home in Goa, where the lockdown was not so hard, compared to other places. The thing is that at the beginning of that pandemic situation. Can I say Plan-demic ? « smiles » we were still full-on with our factory process and all business-related work; therefore, we decided that if the situation got worse in India we would still stay there and do our best. Finally, everything opened again to the Indian tourists, and Goa was able to breathe again. For sure, it has been challenging to make the regular season happen only with our Indian customers. We are used to working with all the travelers and foreign customers that come to Goa to visit or even to stay for a while. So, we had to reorganize our ways as foreign tourism has just melted like ice in an oven. But you know, life is challenging. We guess it’s one of the principles of life: Experience « laughs » and life gives you some new opportunities to experience either yourself or your relationship with others.

If something is not matching your way, be open and be ready to take another path, make the thing happen whatever you have to face!

To every single problem, don’t worry a solution exists! Don't find a solution? Ok! This means it was not a problem. So, we have focused on our local actions and the fact that our Indian customer range has really been expanding. We guess they like us very much, our brand. « laughs » Ok, ok. We know what you think … « laughs » but, yeah we have really nice feedback from this scene. Guess, also it’s nice to be appreciated by locals in the country we’ve lived in for 20 years. We love Indian people. They are really friendly and so close to us. In 2020, we focused on designing new ideas for the online shop. In a way, it’s also a possible main business direction for us. The world is becoming more and more digital, And that’s a fact!

A challenging time for PsyTrance

Boom canceled, Ozora canceled, Modem canceled Psyfi canceled, and even the smallest ones. You see a deep hole, a f**king empty space! What a change! What a mess! You know we are touring festivals every year for now 15 years. We are so used to this magical traveling calendar. Showing our collections from festival to festivals. We have been missing so much this powerful mission. But what to do… a break? Yes, good idea … hahaha « laughs » but please make it short! It is true that the situation is still uncertain for 2021, but whatever happens, we will continue to expect some of them to take place, even if we don't think any big events will happen, but we still hope Fusion in Germany or Psy-fi in the Netherlands will do something. We are sad that for the second year in a row. We will not express that much on that subject.

The musical Trance community is like a small ecosystem, beautiful and rich in diversity but still fragile, in which every element is connected to each other. When you force some of them to stop their work, it’s the whole system that gets injured.

I know we are stronger than this, so we will not collapse. We will always find a path to express our thoughts in one way or another, but, you know, just thinking about it, and managing to organize ourselves is really challenging. Hopefully, we like challenges! Sounds like life is testing us « laughs »

Q. We read you set up Indian Project with your wife/husband to give people an alternative clothing option that sits between the urban and travelers psytrance scene. Describe your core customer...

We always keep in mind the utility needs of travelers; at the same time something more fashionable, more urban, more trendy.

We have always been attached to the idea of designing clothing lines that may be wearable everywhere, any time, and still with a personal identity. The clothing can be for the psytrance community, festival time, or traveling, but not only! Our brand is made for “urban travelers.” A mix in between minimal streetwear, urban fashion, utility traveling, and party time. Like a 4-flavors cake « laughs » that matches all together without any disturbances, do you see? « smile » I guess our core customers are fitting in one or more of all those 4 ingredients. « laughs »

Q. Indian Project’s logo is instantly recognizable. What is the inspiration behind your logo?

Our main logo has something that is fully recognizable. Something straight with the square area the logo fits in and smoothed by the curved lines of the Trishul trident (a divine symbol in Hinduism). We like playing with contrasts. « smile »

Trishul trident is part of Shiva and Shiva is the masculine and the feminine in one all. Creation and destruction. Birth and death, the end of a part at the same time the beginning of another.

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Pictures by: @wielochmedia