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Weekender Noosa Boom Shankar Gives Back As 2006 draws to a close, fabulous local fashion label, Boom Shankar, celebrates a great year with the launch of its new Clean Water for India project. 
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Local girl Dui Cameron is supposed to be talking about her great summer range of fashion but she’s just come from a meeting where her company has decided to build two new, clean water bores in India by mid-2007. “I am passionate about fabrics, fashion and design,” she says. “But really, what could make you feel better than being part of something that will give greater health, comfort and safety to people who lack those things – particularly given that India has already given us so much.”
The Water Project grew out of a meeting between Dui’s partner, a sculptor Michael Ciavarella, and Gopal, a local from the Rajhastani village of Jethana, where water vessels and chai tea cups provide the main source of income. Michael was studying Jethana’s pottery production methods when it became clear that the water being used had to be carried from 3km away. That meant that all water for drinking, cooking, washing and the pottery involved many of Jethana’s women and girls making an arduous 6km round trip each day. Dui and Michael decided to act. Fundraising with the help of ceramic artist Rowley Drysdale, TAFE art students and with a generous Boom Shankar donation to top it up, they raised enough funds to drill a bore and supply a pump for the village in February this year. “We were there when the first local water appeared from the ground, and I can tell you, the feeling was ecstatic,” Dui says. 
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Boom Shankar now plans more fundraising for the Jethana village. “We were talking lately about the bore and about Christmas – the ideas just collided and I thought, let’s do it again, except this time let’s aim to deliver two new bores,” she says. “We’ll donate $1 from every purchase from now until the end of January,” Dui says. Which brings me to the clothes – the summer range is gorgeous. It includes some of the traditional Indian fabrics that have built Boom Shankar’s reputation. There are the great seersucker skirts and tops – classic, cool and funky. There are full, gathered tiered skirts in bright colours – a little flamenco but very Sunshine Coast. And gorgeous baby doll dresses in fantastic colours and spots.
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