Brands Were Featured At Vaisakhi Mela
Amrit Matharu from The Asian today met up with some of the leading Sikh clothing brands around, such as Wootz Brand, Roots Gear & Mr Singh Clothing, at the Birmingham Vaisakhi Mela 2014.
Azadvir Singh, from London spoke to Amrit about the history of Wootz and how his preceding idea has changed his life. Wootz Brand is coined from the legendary Wootz Steel. Legend has it that Wootz steel was used for its mythical properties of beauty, strength and durability. Empires in the ancient times chose their swords to be made from this ancient material for these properties. Wootz brand incorporates the importance of the martial arts in the Sikh religion through art. Art is a significant aspect of the faith that allows the mind to connect with spirituality through expression and devotion. Wootz Brand vows to impart the martial disciplines of righteousness, self-respect, honour and morality into our everyday lives.
As well as capturing the importance of the Sikh faith through art and its message through clothing, Wootz Brand also hosts an online podcast Know Thy Wootz on Soundcloud.com. Azadvir told Amrit how the podcast was set up as a means of engaging with the creative members of the Sikh and Punjabi community – “It’s like a conversation”. The easy listening and casual nature of the podcast allows you to listen to the recording whenever and wherever about current affairs and issues in the community with well-known figures such Pardeep Bahra from Singh Street Style, Humble The Poet and Magic Singh.
Success and support from loyal fans of Wootz Brand has led to exciting times as proud sponsors of Akaal Muay Thai Boxing Club. The popular brand has also launched their very own sports line made from high performance Poly-span fabric which allows the skin breath whilst keeping the body at a stable temperature with its moisture wicking technology.
Roots Gear was created by Tanmit Singh in New Jersey over in the States in 2004. Tanmit explained how the brand is formed on a basis coined as “3re” (pronounced three) – recognise, remember and respect. The brand portrays the intricate balance between spirituality and temporality.
Roots Gear is an international brand and ship worldwide. Popular shipping locations have been New Zealand and Finland with Canada and UK being the biggest markets. A new collection titled “Love Mor” is soon to be introduced inspired from the Punjabi word for peacock. We’re looking forward to seeing this beautiful collection.
Sathnam Singh from Leicester of Mr Singh Clothing, spoke about his enlightening experience of leaving behind his past as a clean-shaven youth to becoming a practising Sikh. Sathnam was proud to show Amrit a picture of him only a year ago with his cut hair and earrings at a DJ-ing gig, compared to his transformation at present. He spoke of how Mr Singh Clothing is a brand embodied to encourage and involve the youth community about their roots and Sikhi through the clever play on Roger Hargreaves’ Mr. Men and Little Miss.
It was a pleasure meeting the faces of these reputable brands and learning about their brand philosophies. Clothing is a wonderful and inspiring way to engage others about the Sikh faith and culture in a fun and exciting way.
