HYDERABAD: A rich heritage and authentic handlooms are two things synonymous with Indian culture and fashion and Label Rama, the brainchild of Rajeswari Mavuri embodies both these aspects quite seamlessly.
As a Hyderabad-based brand on a mission to continue the unbroken lineage of Indian handlooms and heritage by distilling it into meaningful luxury, Label Rama produces clothing with minimalist, understated elegance and works respectfully and collaboratively with their artisans. CE got in touch with Rajeswari for a candid chat about the brand, new collection and more.
Tell us about your new collection
My new collection is called Amar Amor — My Love in Bengali. It is a collection inspired by muslin & jamdani, the timeless fabrics of Bengal. The silhouettes are a homage to the women of Rabindranath Tagore, Bengal’s poet laureate. The women that Tagore created in his stories are complex, intricate and layered and yet, their emotions and motivations are exquisitely resonant to every woman, every day.
After much research, I found two clusters in West Bengal — Baharampore and Musthuli.
With 300 and 200 weavers respectively, they produce the finest 200-count muslin, jamdani and khadi I have come across. Most of the hand weaving in these clusters is done by the men while the women help with the jamdani work and setting up looms. The hand spinning of yarn for khadi is mostly done by the elderly women in the nearby villages. Whenever possible, Label Rama pays these weavers 100% in advance — this is very painstaking, detailed and time-consuming weaving and I want to do everything I can to sustain this thus far unbroken but rapidly dwindling art.
What sort of colours and silhouettes can we expect in the collection?
It’s all about fluidity and movement. Our clothes are designed to leave you room to dance. I firmly believe that our bodies should not be restricted or constrained and my silhouettes reflect that. With the Amar Amor collection, the silhouettes are mostly minimalist and fluid with intricate detailing and some unexpected layering and asymmetry. My natural aesthetic is understated, so the colours I am inclined to use are soft and somewhat muted, although I do sometimes go for a pop of bright.
What inspired you to venture into the fashion industry?
Handlooms are woven right into my DNA. I am originally from a weaving family that went on to establish a textile house that is now over 50 years old. Sometimes I think all I know is textiles! I have traveled across the globe collecting local textiles but the more I travel, the more I am inspired by the diversity of Indian textiles and the dexterity of Indian weaves — there is nothing quite as varied and intricate as our traditional Indian handlooms.
I created Label Rama because I want to continue the unbroken lineage of these amazing handlooms by transforming them into modern, everyday luxury. I want to give these textiles a global audience and recognition so they can thrive and evolve into a contemporary context. I also believe that it is time for the fashion industry to evolve its definition of luxury into something that is natural, sustainable and meaningful — good for those who wear it, good for those who make it and good for the earth.
How has the journey been?
It’s a roller coaster ride! There are days when I feel heady and exhilarated — those are usually the days when I have met an amazing weaver or a silhouette we have been working on comes together perfectly or I meet a customer who totally “gets” what I am trying to achieve with Label Rama.
The challenging days are usually about making enough sales. Keeping handlooms alive, paying our artisans and tailors generously, redefining luxury to make it more meaningful — I knew these goals would mean that making Label Rama successful would be an uphill battle but at least I’m in great company, however small it might be!
Did you face any challenges?
My silhouettes tend to be young and more in line with a Western aesthetic. They are also understated and minimalist. Expressing those silhouettes using Indian handlooms raises a particular challenge — the fabrics are attractive to a more mature Indian audience because they understand the value of the textile and how special my sourcing is. On the other hand, the silhouettes are attractive to a younger, western-oriented audience who tend to be into trendy and fast fashion and don’t always recognise the value of traditional textiles. But I am determined to persist until I find an audience that loves my silhouettes and traditional fabrics. I know they’re out there!
How is Hyderabad as a fashion market compared to other Indian cities?
As a fast-growing and wealthy city, Hyderabad is a great fashion market, particularly for fast fashion and luxury brands. It’s a little bit of work to find an audience for my minimalist aesthetic and Indian handlooms but they’re there and I get a lot of encouragement and support from handloom enthusiasts, of whom there are quite a few in Hyderabad.
What are your future plans?
Launching the next collection Maya is my focus for the immediate future. Maya, a kalamkari collection. Kalamkari has been one of my personal favourites for as long as I can remember. Today, this ancient craft has been diluted with screen/machine print replicas and synthetic dyes, and although commonly available in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, over 90% of what you get is not the real thing.
More and more artisans are finding themselves unable to practice kalamkari work the traditional way — using a process that takes over 20 steps, needs flowing river water and uses only natural pigments.
When I found a cluster that still does kalamkari the traditional way, I was inspired.
With my mind and research focused on the Andhra/Telangana region, I learned about padams and javalis, intricately crafted lyrical songs from the region. Unlike Carnatic classical music which is very well known and anchored in the purely devotional, padams and javalis are more obscure, and far more explicit and uninhibited in their expression of their passion, veering into the erotic. The songs became my muse, the fabric the vehicle of expression. The clothes I designed for the Maya collection were inspired by this idea of subtle eroticism — removable in a single move or incorporating peepholes that hint at the beauty within.
After that I get to go exploring, looking for my next muse! Long term it is my goal to work with 50 rural weaving clusters and 1,000 artisans over the next 10 years.
The challenging days are usually about making enough sales. Keeping handlooms alive, paying our artisans and tailors generously, redefining luxury to make it more meaningful