On opening the Taneira packaging box, one comes across a profound statement: To many, hands are just that...hands. But if you look harder, you will see hands create what minds can only imagine. Hands can produce magic from nothing. If it is made by hand, it is honest. In a world that glorifies the mediocre and factory-lined, it is good to own something made by nothing more than the two greatest instruments known to man... hands.
The simple statement speaks volumes about the youngest brand of Titan. The name is derived by bringing together a Sanskrit word ‘Tan’ which means body, and ‘Eira’ which is another name for Goddess Saraswati (patron of arts, craft, music and knowledge). It has two stores in Bengaluru, one at the Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, Delhi, and now it has thrown open the doors of its flagship store in South Extension, Delhi, spread across a whopping 7,500 sq ft.
It takes pride in showcasing curated handcrafted saris belonging to 50 weaving clusters from across the country. The collection consists of muga from Assam, ikats of Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha; jaamdanis of Bengal, chanderis and maheshwaris from Madhya Pradesh along with other indigenous silks. An entire floor is dedicated to bridal trousseau, resplendent with Banarasi silk rare gems like raktambari, shwetambari, gyasar and hazaar buti. Another section has an enviable variety of kanjeevarams.
Specialising in pure and natural fabrics, Taneira stocks silk-cottons, tussars, organzas, linens, georgettes, chiffons, cottons, vanya (wild silk); exclusive heirlooms such as Patan patola, muslin jaamdani, one-of-a-kind reversible ikats sharing the space with kadwa, brocades, ajrakh and bandhini.
Everything resonates with the brand’s philosophy of marrying natural materials to dying handicrafts made by artisans from different states. The store brings alive the ideology of ‘Handmade with Love’ and is designed by Auroville-based Dharmesh Jadeja, founder of the design firm Dustudio. It’s a visual treat reflecting the magic of Indian textiles, motifs, landscape and culture.
Speaking at the national launch, Bhaskar Bhat, managing director, Titan Company Ltd, said, “As a company, we believe that the sari is a natural extension. We have created design-led lifestyle brands that enable self-expression—Titan, Tanishq, Fastrack, Xylys, Raga, Skinn (fragrances) and now Taneira. Similar to the jewellery market, when we began, this 5,000 years old category is large, unorganised and undeserved in terms of authenticity of the product. Seeing the incredible response we
got in the pilot stage, we are confident that this venture will be an opportunity for us to build relevance and enable transparency and authenticity for the customer.”
As the palpable frenzy grows around the festive and wedding season, the ‘India under one roof’ section houses formal, festive, bridal and wedding Indian-wear mostly within the price range of `5,000-3,50,000. But, their bridal lehengas are well between `80,000-2,50,000. And the cherry on the cake are its customised stitching services for blouses.
The brand is warm, approachable, yet sophisticated in its taste of handicrafts and handloom. In acknowledging the spontaneity of the woman in its imagery, they’ve begun both online and brick and mortar stores simultaneously. Commemorating the look and feel, Shyamala Ramnan, business head, Titan Company Ltd, said, “The Taneira woman is unapologetically herself, comfortable in her skin; rooted yet progressive. She wears a sari out of choice, not compulsion and celebrates tradition but is not bound by it. In fact, the sari being size and body-agnostic makes it a comfortable six-yard cloth for ladies in all shapes.”
But, of course, one also looks forward to hearing interesting tales, such as the verses of the Ramayana being woven on a sari only after the weavers remove their footwear each time. And just like its parent company, Taneira too is built on trust, quality and authenticity. It plays on the swelling Indian pride.