In these times of new normal when waves of pandemic come and subside, handloom has surged and so has the philosophy of ethical fashion. Benarasi doesn’t need a revival but now it has found more takers and emerging connoisseurs. It’s a Benarasi Bonhomi moment!
SWATI & SUNAINA
It was around her- Swati Agarwal brother’s wedding, when she was on a lookout for authentic Benarasi Sarees for her sister-in-law, Sunaina Jalan and herself, that she realised, to her surprise, she could not find any. The search took the duo – Swati and Sunaina to Benaras, where they spoke with officials at the Weaver Service Centre, who in turn put them in touch with the weavers. Here they were where the label’s seed was sown with an idea to make a difference.
“Weavers were hesitant to take up any complex work; they thought that we would commission a limited number of pieces and leave,” says Agarwal. So they came up with a framework which provided weavers an organised setup, along with a promise of minimum production. The duo sourced design ideas by frequenting the Calico Museum of Textiles, Ahmedabad and it’s here where they studied textiles.
Swati Agarwal & Sunaina Jalan, the sister-in-laws launched their label in 2015 in Kolkata with a conviction to bring back the lost treasures of Indian woven textiles. All the handloom sarees at Swati & Sunaina are made on the pit looms of Benaras with the same technique that has been passed on for generations by master craftsmen. The use of pure certified gold zari to weave sarees has been the hallmark of the label. Each saree comes with a spindle of the zari yarn that was used in weaving along with a certificate of authenticity.
Driven by providing their global client base with the best of heritage textiles, the duo is revisiting concepts like commissioned textiles, which allow saree connoisseurs to customise their weaves, much like how royals, nobles, and aristocrats commissioned fabrics from weavers in Benaras.
“We have tried to steer our production back to the direction where it was meant to be,” says Agarwal. They also plan to launch the old-school ‘trunk service’, where women can shop from home, a carefully curated edit of sarees taken to them.
Swati Agarwal and Sunaina Jalan are dedicated to creating handloom sarees worthy of being objects of inheritance. The eponymous label is known for the revival and preservation of pure metallic zari (gold and silver) in Benarasi silks. The distinction of their designs extends even to their packaging, a luxurious storage chest which serves as a means of storing the zari woven drape. More importantly, it also chronicles the saree’s sartorial journey for the wearer.
Their ‘Aab-e-zar’ collection is an experiment in reviving the use of gold and silver zari in a line of lightweight, translucent tissue sarees in understated colours with contrasting borders.
SINGHANIA’S
Sailesh Singhania comes from a family that has been into textiles for nearly a century. His great-grandfather was the textile minister in the Nizam’s cabinet in erstwhile Hyderabad. Singhania was fascinated by the charm of the six-yard quite early in life. At the age 14, he started attending to customers at his family’s wholesale textile shop – Singhania’s, at Old city in Hyderabad.
Singhania took his passion forward by getting a degree in textile engineering from Salem Institute, after which he opened the Singhania’s in Hyderabad.
Sailesh Singhania’s collection comprises a combination of age-old techniques and fabrics like jamdani and khadi, which are ornate with intricate motifs. Mostly known for his out-of-the-box motifs like teacups on a Benarasi or hot air balloons on a traditional Jamdani. Some motifs are inspired by modern Japanese art and the end designs are a culmination of varied cultures and traditions.
“I feel blessed that I could witness the look, touch and feel of various textiles since the Nizam’s era. The textiles from those times are more like an art form — the weaving and detailing are mesmerising. I’m amazed with the intricacy and detailing that the weavers and craftsmen achieved, which is extremely difficult to achieve even nowadays.
Make in India is an excellent initiative started by the government. It has grabbed the attention and interest of buyers and made them aware of textiles and handloom, thus increasing the sales of the handloom products, which, till some time ago, was a forgotten craft form”, states Singhania.
JR
The Jayanti Reddy label imbues traditional clothing with a distinctive sense of style and understated elegance. And the result is a classical and intensely personal fashion statement. The label, ‘JR’ emphasises on naturally dyed, hand-woven textiles that are embellished with intricate hand embroidery. “Our casual wear, in sleek signature style, and our opulent formal/festive collections are both characterised by the sense of craftsmanship, style and creativity that is quintessentially Jayanti Reddy”, proudly says Jayanti.
With no formal training in fashion or textiles, Jayanti Reddy started her label in 2012. She adds, “ I was self-taught. Although a career in fashion didn’t seem likely, I was always drawn to creativity even as a child. And when I realised I had great passion for clothes, I decided to enter the field of fashion.”
In February this year Jayanti Reddy opened a flagship store in the Capital too. The store in Mehrauli is ingeniously planned by architect Mouna Reddy (Jayanti’s sister-in-law) in such a fashion that the centre of attraction are the apparels and stacks of sarees.
Benaras handloom textiles are seen in Reddy’s bridal sarees and lehengas paired with heavily embellished blouses in hues of magenta, royal purple, and red. Scalloped edges and floral motifs find favour in the brand’s latest collection in which traditional colour schemes are contrasted with bright yellow and ivory.
TANTUVI
Smriti Morarka initiated ‘Tantuvi’ (weaver in Sanskrit) in 1993 to revive weaving traditions of Benaras. It was then when saree as an occasional wear was losing out to lehengas, churidars and shararas. She got into the trade with making adaptations and keeping the modern weaver in mind.
“ ‘Tantuvi’ endeavors to provide a platform where the younger generation of the weaving community may learn with enthusiasm, from the elders, the method of the old and with pride, may make weaving their preferred vocation,” says Smriti.
“My motivation is twofold. Firstly, to make sure the weavers revive the dying traditional forms of weaving and, the other to see that the aesthetically oriented customer gets an opportunity to acquire what he/she desires.”
‘Tantuvi’ sarees are made in limited numbers, hence ensuring their exclusivity. “By not falling into the trap of mass production and commercialisation, we commit to ensuring that the uniqueness of each of our designs is sustained ”, explains Smriti Morarka.
Text by Jaydeep Ghosh
Image Courtesy: Swati & Sunaina, Singhania’s, JR, and TANTUVI
Find more about the Brand and the Weaves:
http://www.swatiandsunaina.com/
