Our traditional outfits are far more beautiful than we think. The vibrant colours and rich texture of the fabric make them hard to resist. Deepthi Reddy, the designer behind the label Adhvarai Silks, has worked on these outfits and created some beautiful designs. She has now come up with her new collection, Narayani. She takes us through the collection, festive looks and more.
Excerpts
Tell us about the designs for the new collection.
I showcased my designs from Narayani recently in Bhubaneswar, and almost every month we do one or two fashion weeks. This collection has a fusion effect: a combination of Kanjeevaram with Ikat and Patola blouses. We also used Madras checks. It is a blend of traditional weaves, a beautiful craft, and the colours are vibrant. As Indians, we celebrate colours, so it is my forte. I try to feel the essence of each weave and produce it in the particular colour that gives that effect, which is why we used Madras checks and traditional Patola and Ikat. Being a Telangana girl, I used a lot of Ikat in this collection.
Tell us about the fabrics and colours you have worked on.
I have used bright colours because this is the festive season. For Navratri, we use nine different bright colours. This has a cultural significance for Indians; it is not just decorative. The colours we used here are bright red, fuchsia pink, green, purple, blue and bright orange. We used a lot of tissue fabrics, keeping brides in mind.
At Adhvarai Silks we do handlooms, and don’t mix them with power looms. I will not say that I am against power looms, but as a designer it is my duty to preserve the craft and pass it on to the next generation. Even foreigners are very inclined towards Kanjeevaram silks, and I feel successful because of Gen Z. They have been coming to us and buying these heritage pieces to gift or to wear for festivals and weddings.
In many of my previous shows, I did a fusion mix of Patola-inspired Kanjeevaram. It is made on a Kanjeevaram loom, but the inspiration is taken from Patola and Ikat. We have also done Kota Kanjeevaram, which uses a tiny thread. It is very difficult to weave, and each saree takes around one to two months. We are also coming up with new fusion sarees with Khadi combinations. We launched heritage pieces in Kanjeevaram and received a lot of orders for them. It is good to see this encouragement and the connection to the culture.
Why did you name the collection Narayani?
The name itself sounds very divine when you hear it, and it carries so much feminine energy. This collection and its name are for the women who relate to this craft, encourage it and are bonded to it. The name is very powerful.
What collections do you have for the festive season?
For Dasara, we have a wide variety of sarees, and have also crafted some dupattas for the younger generation. We have lehengas and a lot of other pieces as well. Navratri is especially a time when people celebrate in unity. In Telangana we celebrate the Bathukamma festival, where you get to see everything so colourful. That is the reason the collection we released has so many colours. The range also covers everything from the lowest to the highest price points. Anyone who buys a handloom saree, buys to preserve it. It is a very breathable and comfortable fabric. When you do puja, you need to be comfortable in your saree.
What kind of tips do you give as a designer for choosing an outfit?
Though I am a designer, I am very rooted in Indian culture and heritage. All my collections carry a very South Indian look: a centre parting, a low bun with mogra, a bindi, and a high-neck blouse with elbow-length sleeves. We get a great response, especially from men, who appreciate the sarees a lot. There is dignity in a saree, and it is presented the way it should be presented, which is where I feel I have succeeded. I got this look from my mother, grandmother, aunts and the people around me, because I grew up with it. That is what I have interpreted in my shows, and I am glad everybody loved the looks.
Who is the inspiration behind your designs?
You get inspiration only from the people around you, the ones you live with. In my entire life, I have seen my grandmother and mother wearing such beautiful sarees, like Kanjeevaram and Banaras silks. My grandmother was married in the 1940s, and she had a beautiful Banarasi saree in silk that used to be very soft. That is the texture you will find at Adhvarai Silks. People come from Chennai and Kanchipuram to buy our products, and that is where we have succeeded. People forget about softness; silks have become stiff, and people ask for soft silks. We don’t provide soft silks here, but pure Kanjeevaram.
Tell us about your next collection?
I am going to work on complete Madras checks. Madras checks have faded out, but there are beautiful pieces in them, and they have a history as well. I would like to use that particular checks pattern because, across the whole country, checks are elevated only in Kanjeevaram silks. You will not find this craft anywhere else. I want people to know the craft. When you see it on a model, it looks different, and I want to show the elegance of the saree with contemporary blouses, which give a good effect. The other collection is with Khadi, which takes three and a half months to make because it is a fine thread. Looming is difficult, but my forthcoming shows will be about these.