CHENNAI: If it has been your dream to be wrapped up in headlines, Sthree Creatives has brought it alive. The store for exclusive Indian handlooms and jewellery recently showed off their newsprint design — launched on October 24 — on their Instagram account. The pure silk korvai sari brings in the breaking news in familiar monochrome with a decadent red border that frames it. But unique as the concept may seem, it is not untraversed territory, says Sreemathy Mohan, the owner.
“Several big fashion houses have displayed newsprint in dresses, bags and even footwear but it was first made famous by Elsa Schiaparelli. In 1935, she took all press clippings about her and printed them onto blouses and accessories. According to her biography, she got the idea on her travels to Denmark where she saw a woman in Copenhagen wearing a hat with the same print. Many people do say that the print has existed (before Schiaparelli) but I think she made it successful,” she says.
An admirer of the motif, Sreemathy thought ‘Why not try this in a silk sari’ and so came to be her recent launch. However, unlike earlier creations in this style, Sthree Creatives opted for an embossed design on the upper side with no thread visible on the backside. She mentions that while she has seen this kind of sari in mulmul, satin and crepe, those are generally digitally printed. To take an uncommon approach and offer a thicker drape, the brand opted for the embossed look instead.
“It is just taking an idea and including it in our regional format. Can’t say it’s an invention,” Sreemathy shares, adding that these kinds of unique motifs have influenced many a sari. “The newsprint is a vintage one and always nice. (We wanted to) try something new, like we have high court pupli checks, Madras checks, Scottish patterns and more that inspire the sari. There is also pichwai hand painting done (on saris). And now, even kalamkari designs are woven onto the borders. Because of technology, we can put anything on the sari,” she notes. Sthree Creatives has also recently experimented with animal print motifs which, Sreemathy says, came into being since people stopped using real fur in their outfits. Furthermore, there is a Raja Ravi Varma drape in the works as well.
The newsprint sari, despite being launched very recently, has apparently garnered much interest. “People interested are mostly those in the USA and young people, who enjoy such trendy designs. While the sari does have news articles on it, they are not specific ones, rather general. It doesn’t relate to any particular newspaper, and is quoting general business forecasts and headlines. You can’t even read what is written under it particularly but it gives the overall feel of opening the newspaper,” Sreemathy explains. Well, it certainly does look like a surefire to be the talk of the town.