The wedding season is around the corner and the ateliers and studios of fashion designers are busy crafting the festive season’s latest creations. The stores are busy with brides and their families browsing the racks.
Raw Mango introduced ‘Peacock Country’, the label’s Festive Collection. The collection is inspired by an opera by Agha Hassan Amanat- Indra Sabha.
The collection is overloaded with festive silhouettes that are embroidered with sari, zardozi and gota work. Kalidaar kurtas, shararas, and circular ghararas paired with sheer organza pants, structured kurtas and lehengas stitched out of rich brocades make the collection look rich and classy.
Raw Mango, Peacock Country, Festive 2022
In a candid conversation with Sanjay Garg, the man behind the label- Raw Mango, I tried to understand his thought behind creating the collection for the coming wedding season. I asked Sanjay about what’s trending for the festive/wedding season 2022/23. He said, “As a designer, I have never focused on trends and I feel the current scenario has prompted Brides to rethink long held-practices when it comes to bridal wear. I have always believed that buying one’s bridal wear should be an investment in terms of fabric and craftsmanship that is timeless.” He further emphasised that brides are more conscious about what they want and that they celebrate quality and craftsmanship. Conscious fashion has been on the upsurge and Sanjay strengthened my belief in it. “We all know that there is too much out there already. This is a great time for us as designers to edit our offerings and reflect on the way forward.”
Talking in length about ‘Peacock Country’ collection Sanjay explained the inspiration that he drew from the Awadhi culture and its Ganga- Jamuni tehzeeb. “Taking a cue from the architecture of the Awadh region, the collection features bold and big motifs that draw from the inlay works. Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb brings together two different cultures that are reflected in the crafts and weave — in their form, symbolism, aesthetics, and spiritual connotations. We have represented this through usage of gold and silver zari work in the collection”, explained Sanjay Garg.
Raw Mango, Peacock Country, Festive 2022
Designers are experimenting a lot with blouses or cholis in bridal wear. Some are going for contemporary peasant blouses with lehengas while some are taking to peplum styles. The focus has been on the blousons. Sanjay, however, had a contrary opinion and put it across vehemently. He opined, “Sari itself is a complete outfit and should not be dependent on blouses or cholis. Back in the day, women used to wear saris without blouses. Our blouses are designed in a way that they can be worn with anything, with sari, lehenga or however one would like to style it.”
Raw Mango is known for its fabulous indigenous textiles and rich craftsmanship. The Peacock Country collection is replete with floral motifs drawn from the inlay work seen in Mughal and Rajput architecture and miniature paintings.
Raw Mango, Peacock Country, Festive 2022
The candid conversation with Sanjay Garg ended on a contrarian note. I asked if a festive collection limits a designer to step away from traditions to which Sanjay said, “One does not need to step away from traditions to be modern. Both can work and co-exist and in fact even complement each other. This is ‘in’ and ‘out’ business is bad. There is a culture you have inherited; you need to belong where you come from. Whether it is a craft or a language, I believe they must be kept current to last through the centuries. Craft and design is an ongoing process and has to be influenced by how we live today while still embracing our past.”
Text by Jaydeep Ghosh
Image Courtesy: Raw Mango
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