CHENNAI: Chennai has a good reason to step out this weekend — the rains have finally calmed the parched city, allowing us to cheer up and head to Adara lifestyle pop-up.
Sixteen handpicked designers from all over the country will showcase their products at this pop-up to be held at The Folly, Amethyst. These are brands which have either not been featured in Chennai before or their presence has been sparse. Popular film actor Priya Anand was at the inauguration of the exhibition.
“We wanted to bring original designers with quality products,” said Priya Sanath, one of the curators of the exhibition. “We have only featured brands that use pure cotton and silk and even when it comes to home decor, we wanted the best in the business. However, we have been conscious to keep the pricing in check keeping in mind the market here. These are all authentic designers with fabulous products and the best quality at affordable rates. Most of them are new faces to Chennai and more than half of them are exhibiting here for the first time.”
Among the stores to watch out for, there is Maggam for breathtaking handpainted kalamkari saris, Pechani for intricate Chikankari clothing, Dharan for sustainable textiles, Inde Loom for handloom saris, Parama Ghosh for her quirky and beautiful sari and blouse collection. If you’re looking to spruce up your home, visit the Sorrel store for garden accessories and The Design Forge for home decor. However, if you’re more keen to adorn yourself, stop by Arnav Jewellery for precious jewellery and Flying Fish for handcrafted silver jewellery. Chithra’s Looms is another must-visit store as it is the first time that the designer Chithra Kailasam will exhibit her handwoven saris with traditional and heritage weaves in the city.
Keeping up with the trend of embracing sustainable and slow fashion, the pop-up has an eclectic mix to choose from. One among them is Kalki by K.
“Our fabrics, which are made from natural fibres, are sourced from weaving clusters in and around Madurai,” said Karunya Rajan. “Each Kalki piece is handmade and incorporates handcraft – embroidery, painting, printing – which is our way of paying homage to the power and intensity of human touch.” Their latest line ‘Mangal’ is being featured at the pop-up.
The Ananda Life is another brand that embodies the spirit of slow fashion and is at the pop-up.
The exhibition will be held at The Folly, Amethyst from 10:30 am onwards. For more details, call the curators at 9840024585