Actor Kani Kusruti’s watermelon clutch at Cannes was designed in Kochi

Kani Kusruti's watermelon clutch at Cannes symbolizes solidarity with Palestine, showcasing Indian craft and political awareness.

Carrying the watermelon clutch on the red carpet at Cannes was All We Imagine As Light actor Kani Kusruti’s way of showing solidarity with Palestine. The watermelon slice has been a symbol of Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation as it shows the colours of the Palestinian flag.  The film won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival 2024.  

The green, red and black beaded bag was a well thought out statement from the politically aware actor, says Kochi-based designer and stylist Diya John, who helped Kani put her look together.

“We bounced about ideas on how she wanted to be styled. Kani mentioned incorporating an element that would show solidarity with Palestine,” says Diya, who runs the designer label Salt and a store, Salt Studio.

Kani had offers from labels outside Kerala, but she chose to showcase a homegrown designer on an international platform. So, most of the she wore at Cannes were designed and styled by Diya.

Although Kani knew what she wanted to do, she was unsure about how to go about it. “Any kind of inscription on a garment would be too loud. We wanted it to be poetic, we wanted it to be subtle,” says Diya. They tossed around ideas which included a brooch, embroidery and patchwork, but Diya felt these could go unnoticed. Over many discussions the friends zeroed in on using the watermelon slice motif.

She adds, “The conversations stimulated my brain. I thought it would be interesting to include Indian craft too.” Kani’s wardrobe for the events took three weeks to put together — from ideation to execution.

The handcrafted bead work embroidery on the bag is the work of two karigars (craftsmen) and took over 20 hours, while the construction of the bag took six hours. The embroidery was done at Diya’s studio, “initially we made a sample swatch in order to get an idea of the work. I wanted a 3D effect, which my karigars were able to translate on fabric.”