Taxis in Mumbai, India, aren’t just a popular way to get around; they’ve become a part of the city’s culture. Now one company is combining colorful cabs and offering Mumbai’s upcoming creative talent a public platform.
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Taxi Fabric custom-make vibrant interiors for Mumbai’s taxis designed by local creatives. And they look awesome.
“Design is unfortunately not widely recognised in India,” says the Taxi Fabric website, “Many people don’t know that design can create a real impact.”
“With so few spaces for young people to show off their skills, it’s hard to change that perception,” but that’s exactly what Taxi Fabric are doing, one cab at a time.
“Although much attention is given to each taxi by its driver — to make it stand out from his competitors — very little thought is given to the fabric used on the seats.”
“The designs that cover the taxi seats are often functional and forgettable and with the outstanding design talent Mumbai has to offer, this shouldn’t be the case.”
Drivers are loving their new-look cabs, saying that passengers tip more and want to stay in the cabs longer.
And artists get to promote their work to a huge audience with the help of a prominent label on the back seat of any taxi they help to makeover.
Everyone’s a winner.
The designs cover the seats, door panels and ceilings; you’ll feel more like you’re traveling in a colorful book than a city taxi.
The designs range from whimsical illustrations of Mumbai to political cartoons and beyond.
They’re so popular that Coldplay filmed their latest music video for Hymn For The Weekend in one.
And the designs are appearing on rickshaws, too.
Do you think they’ll design our whole house? And clothes? And soft furnishings?
You can see more brilliant designs and happy cab drivers at the Taxi Fabric Tumblr.