A tribute to Indian truck art with limited edition suits

All India Permit and Bonne Suits are transforming the iconic Dutch suit into a traveling canvas, creating a living exhibition that celebrates and preserves the rich heritage and craftsmanship of Indian truck art.

The limited edition suits were flown to India, where “truck artists” were invited to paint their designs on the jackets, combining classic Dutch design with Indian heritage. The artists and truck drivers are also the faces of the campaign images shot in India. The result is an exhibition of photography and a series of exclusive suits.

All India Permit was founded in 2018 by Amsterdam-born Design Director Farid Bawa, to preserve, promote and breathe new life into the truck art of India. Bawa met fashion designer Bonne Reijn, the founder of Bonne Suits during one of the brand’s open castings, and a natural collaboration ensued.

Bonne Suits, founded almost 10 years ago, was created as “the unisex suit.” A genderless uniform made for all bodies, ages, and genders. The uniform nature of the suits made them the perfect canvas for Indian truck artists to experiment on.

Bonne Reijn said of the collaboration, “Bonne Suits are an invitation for everyone to step into a uniform while embracing personal style. When Farid told me about the work he was doing at AIP, we knew the suit was the perfect canvas to tell the story of Indian truck art in the Netherlands.”

Farid Bawa added, “This collaboration is about storytelling. It’s about reinventing the canvas on which the history of Indian truck art can be told. Creating a living exhibition to preserve and protect the artists and their work. It made perfect sense to collaborate with Bonne and use his uniform as a medium to tell this story.”

Truck art has been a part of India’s visual heritage for generations. Artists are commissioned by truck owners to capture a story. With truck drivers spending 60% of their lives on the road, the truck becomes a part of their identity. A collage of love, heartbreak, patriotism, religion, and cultural heritage emerges.

Farid, whose grandfather ran a transport company in India, realized that the art form was quickly fading away, the craft was being replaced by cheap radium do-it-yourself stickers and pre-painted trucks, leaving the drivers unable to tell their own personal story. He wanted to bring the story of truck art to the Netherlands. To celebrate Indian culture and put the country’s artists in the spotlight. The collaboration with Bonne Suits perfectly aligns with this goal.