Upstairs, in the large and luxurious boutique of Amethyst (a café, conversations, culture and shopping space in Chennai), where ateliers from across the country, showcase their designs, there’s a new entrant called K. The Chennai-based brand helmed by Kaveri Lalchand was in the spotlight between July 25 and 31, with an exclusive and exciting range crafted specifically for a promotion. In it, motifs and symbols find interesting use and usage against a fascinating palette, hot pink, turquoise, lime green, orange, melon, tangerine on two fabrics — pure linen and silk — in three kinds of garments — tunics, tops and trousers.
Those who know Kaveri, will tell you there’s a thin line between this collection and the designer. Bohemian and bubbling with energy and vivaciousness, the creation is an amalgam of inspirations and styles from across the world. To give you an example, you’ll find Kancheepuram silks with contrasting borders and a touch of gold that come alive with bright Mexican floral designs. There’s a tunic with a motif of a lotus rising straight up across the garment. Symbolism is also an essential ingredient in this range; asymmetric tunics that feature Celtic symbols, the Triskelion and Triquetra, are among Kaveri’s favouries.
It’s the second day of the promotion and Kaveri is stopping by Amethyst to check on the clothes and criticism, if any. Fortunately, the response is “incredible”. It has probably got to do with the fact that comfort is the starting point in her construction. K, she explains, “is meant to reflect comfort; to be comfortable with yourself you need to be comfortable with what you are wearing.” It isn’t easy, creating stylish silhouettes whose core philosophy is comfort, which is why, Kaveri avers a great deal of “thought, study and research has gone into the cut, length, neck drop and other specifications to create garments that suit the Indian figure and sensibilities. Over the years, I have interacted with a lot of women and come to understand their concerns in the fit and feel department; I have tried to address and incorporate that understanding into my clothes. K is also cut slightly larger, allowing for more room to relax, exhale and be joyful, comfortable and free.”
A people’s person with passions aplenty — theatre, food, culture — Kaveri embarked on her fashion quest eight years ago when a retail house in Sri Lanka evinced interest in her clothes that she was randomly putting together for friends and acquaintances. “I simply put a K on the label and called the line, K Clothing,” she remembers. She went on to sell her styles in boutiques in Australia, Greece, America and Brazil. “Only recently, I have started retailing in India.” K is retailed at Ogaan in Delhi and Mumbai, Ensemble in Mumbai, Ffolio in Bangalore and Elahe in Hyderabad.
K is also a brand constantly on the move. Travelling to “wonderfully curated exhibitions” in Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Kaveri admits participating in these exhibitions has given her a “great deal of exposure apart from the sales”. In Chennai, Kaveri meets her clients at her single-room studio attached to her home. Right behind, is her workshop that is whirring non-stop with the sound of the sewing and embroidery machines and the incessant chatter of a handful of talented pattern-makers, tailors and embroiders. The team is designing a range of fabric jewellery. “It is here,” Kaveri says, standing amid the madness, “that I love being the most. After all, the magic happens here.”