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Sunday, December 16, 2012

The Bharatiya December 16, 2012

One half of acclaimed designer team Abraham & Thakore

Look around you, work with what is around you, speak in the language you are most comfortable in, and don’t try to be something you cannot be – this forms the foundation of our design philosophy. In real terms, this translates into working with traditional handloom weaves but simplifying them to reflect contemporary times. Or in developing a block print or an embroidery pattern that draws from an Indian tradition yet expresses it in a clean and modern way to reflect our contemporary requirements.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

The Bharatiya December 15, 2012

Zari and Bhagalpur tussar silk saris start at Rs. 6,000

Zari and Bhagalpur tussar

Last year, Das of Village Art worked on a collection of tussar silk saris from Bhagalpur which used a zari yarn. “I did not want zari on the border only, so we worked with some weavers and used silk yarn in the weft and zari yarn as the warp. The idea was to create a glow effect all over the sari not just on the border or on the anchal. There are no old-school patterns or motifs in these saris. The blouse piece within the sari is in a hue which contrasts the shade of the sari,” says Das. She has avoided the use of Chinese silk yarn for them. “We have used 100% pure hand-spun silk yarn from Bhagalpur. Our USP lies in usage of vibrant colours.”

Zari and Bhagalpur tussar silk saris start at Rs. 6,000. Contact Das at dasleena@gmail.com.

The Bharatiya December 15, 2012

Maheshwari saris at Vaya start at Rs.3,000.

Young Maheshwari

Mira Sagar’s Maheshwaris.

Candy pink, an almost fluorescent pista green and a netted range of stripes; the Maheshwaris at Mira Sagar’s Bandra store Vaya, in Mumbai, strikingly step away from the traditional Maheshwari template in colour, texture and style. Needing to create a new identity for herself and for the saris, Sagar began to experiment with leaving out zari, introducing heavier textures, increasing the size of the borders and pallus and seeking new areas within the tradition. Modifying the cotton-silk blend, which is typically 50-50, to increase the silk quotient, and reducing the zari by increasing the resham (silk) within the weave and working with materials like organza has allowed Sagar to add a richness to the sari. “I retain the basic placeholders of the geometric borders, simple saris—not too much happening in it, the drama is in the colour, drama in the texture, no flowers, peacocks, no patterning in the weaves. For me that’s not Maheshwari. It is simple, geometric, strong colours.” Though it has been challenging for Sagar to find young weavers in Maheshwar (Madhya Pradesh) who are open to changing the traditional template, she believes experimenting opens up the traditional form of the sari to newer demographics and extends the longevity of the sari also.

Maheshwari saris at Vaya start at Rs.3,000. Vaya, Jeevan Kiran, SV Road, Bandra (West), Mumbai.

The Bharatiya December 15, 2012

Suman Bajaj Pocket Sari, Rs.10,000-30,000

X-mas sari

Suman Bajaj’s saris are in chiffons, georgettes or nets with applique-work pockets.

Born and raised in London, Suman Bajaj has brought a European aesthetic to the traditional sari and perhaps this is what makes this sari a perfect buy for Christmas. More than embellishments, Bajaj believes in adding a touch of functionality to the sari and threw in a pocket in the timeless garment. Sure, pockets have existed in saris before, but for Bajaj it is a way to find a stylish solution to something very basic—“not having to carry a handbag with a sari”. The Built-in Pocket Sarees by Suman Bajaj collection was launched in September. “My pocket sari is designed for a modern, discerning woman who wants to wear a sari but wants her cellphone or business cards handy,” says Bajaj. She began with doing a hidden pocket in the blouse or petticoat, but her clients’ feedback led her to bring the pocket out on to the sari. Bajaj’s saris are usually chiffons, georgettes or nets with appliqué-work pockets.

Suman Bajaj Pocket Sari, Rs.10,000-30,000. Available by appointment only at Suman Bajaj Studio, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. To order online, visit www.sumanbajaj.com.

The Bharatiya December 15, 2012

Kunbi saris start at Rs.4,800

Wendell Rodricks

The Goa-based designer has been working to revive the Kunbi sari. Rodricks has said previously that while Maharashtra has its Paithanis, Gujarat its patolas, Orissa its ikat, the only sari Goa has is the Kunbi—and because it is a tribal sari, no one really wants to wear it nowadays as it is difficult to drape, being only four-and-a-half to five yards.

Kunbi saris start at Rs.4,800 and are stocked only at his Panjim, Goa store. Currently, Kunbis are out of stock at the store. To read more about the Kunbi sari and how Rodricks is working to revive it, pick up his book Moda Goa—History and Style (HarperCollins), 240 pages, Rs.3,999.

The Bharatiya December 15, 2012

Venkatagiri saree in silk-cotton

Anyone familiar with this weave knows that this is traditionally a fine 100-count cotton sari from Andhra Pradesh. “Fine cotton weaving is a high skill technique but there is little demand for cotton saris, hence fine cotton Venkatagiris are on a decline. If women want to spend money on a sari with zari, then they want it to be in silk as saris have become more of ‘occasion’ wear. That’s why in my version of the Venkatagiris, while the fine 100-count cotton warp stays, I’ve introduced a fine silk in the weft,” explains Pillai. He has also introduced an asymmetric graphic design vocabulary. “I’ve tried to convince a few weavers to stay put by reintroducing old designs with heavier anchals which result in better remuneration for their skills. These traditional designs get a contemporary twist with the use of an unusual colour combination or the use of silver zari,” he adds.

Cotton-silk Venkatagiris start at Rs.6,000, and the pure silk ones at Rs.9,800.
Contact studio@pradeeppillai.com

The Bharatiya December 15, 2012

Tussar jala saris start at Rs. 8,200.

Tussar jala

The highly skilled tussar weaving communities in Jajpur district, Orissa, with their famous extra weft motifs of fish and rudraksh in jala techniques, earned the patronage of royalty in the past. But tussar yarn became expensive due to deforestation and lack of supplies. “In the process, more and more weavers who are skilled in jala technique (traditional extra weft technique) are merely weaving plain tussar yardages since it finds an easy market,” explains Jain. In order to revive interest in the tussar-jala weave, she has been researching ways to develop new weave constructions to make lighter and softer saris. “Among the collections that have been well-received lately are the kumbha sari—white organic khadi cotton blended with tussar—and bhor saris, where the weave reflects the subtle gradation of the early morning golden sky with motifs like thikri (hills) and jhoti (alpana on mud walls),” says Jain.

Tussar jala saris start at Rs. 8,200. Contact Jain at vriksh.orissa@gmail.com.

The Bharatiya December 15, 2012

Uppada saris start at Rs. 7,000

Uppada

Uppada is an obscure little village, quite like any other in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, with its own local industry of weaving. When Bina Rao, a postgraduate in fine arts from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, and who runs Creative Bee in Hyderabad, chanced upon the village in 1998, while working as a consultant to the Andhra Pradesh State Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society Ltd, she began to work with the tribal weavers to help them modernize their work, shifting them to finer mercerized cotton and introducing silks, increasing the zari in the weave, and adapting their largely simple geometric or floral patterns to a more ornate style. The Uppada is the jamdani of the south, traditionally woven with 100-count cotton, and is today gaining in popularity even as a wedding sari.

Uppada saris start at Rs. 7,000. Creative Bee & Studio, No. 8-2-466/1/A, First floor, Road No. 4, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad (www.creativebee.in).

The Bharatiya December 15, 2012

Sabyasachi Saris range from Rs.2,000-5,000

Sabyasachi’s Save the Saree project

Sabyasachi has sold close to 500 saris under the project this year.

This project focuses on the retail of handwoven Indian saris, and the proceeds go to 50-60 weavers in Andhra Pradesh and Bengal. “In Bengal, we work with weavers in Fulia, Murshidabad, Kalna. We source telia and Pochampally weaves from Andhra and jamdani and Tangail from Bengal,” says Mukherjee. The idea behind the project is to support the weavers in the lean season and hence most of these saris are commissioned to be woven in the summer months. “My goal is to make Indians aware of our country’s resources. No machine can replicate what Indian hands can achieve with textiles. The trick is to make consumers take pride in wearing our saris and weaves.” It started two years ago after a trip to Pochampally, Andhra Pradesh, where Mukherjee had gone to source cotton and silk saris. “I realized a family of four makes less than Rs.4,000 a month. Half the money is eaten by middleman. The handloom industry is slowly dying because few Indian designers patronize Indian textiles.” About 500 saris are sold each season and Mukherjee is hoping to increase numbers for next season which starts in April.

Canisters in which Save the Saree project saris are packed.

Saris range from Rs.2,000-5,000, but can cost more. Available at Sabyasachi stores in Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Delhi; and www.sabyasachi.com.

The Bharatiya December 15, 2012

Rta Kapur Chishti’s Sari School

Rta Kapur Chishti’s Sari School

Chishti has spent the last 20 years exploring the sari across the length and breadth of the country—the 108 ways of draping it—and she says she can teach you any drape you want. A session at The Sari School, Jangpura (Extension), New Delhi, includes an audio-visual introduction to the sari, discussions on regional variations, spinning and weaving techniques and a chance to learn at least four draping styles.

A 3-hour class is Rs.1,500. Contact Chishti at chishti@airtelmail.in.

The Bharatiya December 15, 2012

Queen of Burlesque the three saris

Queen of Burlesque

In November, designers Shivan and Narresh were chosen to dress the famous American burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese for her first visit to India. Teese is Cointreau’s brand ambassador. During her three-day visit, Teese wore three lace saris designed by Shivan and Narresh; the duo are better known for their luxury swimwear. The saris are a reflection of Teese’s love for lingerie and corsetry and brings out her personal style of being fun, irreverent and elegant, all at once.

Limited editions of the three saris, Rs.30,000 onwards, at the Shivan & Narresh stores in Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi; and Bandra (West), Mumbai.

The Bharatiya December 15, 2012

Paithani range starts at Rs.7,000

Paithani

While Ghanashyam Sarode is best known for his pioneering efforts to revive the Uppada sari, the jewel in his portfolio remains the restored interlocking, brocade Paithani. The Paithani, a traditional Maharashtrian royal weave worn today at weddings, is typically floral, drawing from the imagery of swans and peacocks of Mughal, Bengali architecture and motifs of Ajanta as well as latter-day Nizami influences to form exquisite tapestries. Sarode explains that he uses an interlocking Paithani weave—two wefts on different shuttles, where the colour changes, is a technique known as kadiyal and leaves the reverse of the design so seamless as to make it nearly reversible.

The Paithani range starts at Rs.7,000. Ghanshyam Sarode, B-63, First floor, Shivam Road, Hyderabad, and KR Towers, Third floor, Road No. 12, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad (27425666). Contact sarode@gmail.com.

The Bharatiya December 15, 2012

Organic cotton saris from Ethicus start at Rs.3,500

Organic cotton

Ethicus, a brand based in Pollachi, near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, believes it isn’t enough to just eat organic, one must also wear organic. “About 65% of the pesticides produced in India are used on the cotton crop,” says Vijayalakshmi Nachiar, partner at Appachi Cotton, the parent company.

While Appachi Cotton works with communities of farmers and helps them grow cotton without the use of any chemicals and pesticides, Ethicus is the retail arm. “We believe in being ethical at every step of the way—from farmers, to weavers, designers, retailers as well as the customer,” says Nachiar. There is no compromise on quality, though. Produced on handlooms in Pollachi, Ethicus saris are made with no-bleed international Pantone colour systems and certified organic dyes.

Organic cotton saris from Ethicus start at Rs.3,500, at Kalpana in New Delhi; Benzer and Anita Dongre Timeless in Mumbai; Paduka in Chennai; and Prasiddhi Silks in Bangalore.