There was an unusual hustle and bustle at Hotel Mayfair with people thronging stalls put up as a part of a two-day exhibition by Melange. A joint venture of three women entrepreneurs Vandana Palsani, Neelam Garg and Vandana Natany, this was Melange’s first exhibition in the city showcasing the in house productions of various designers from across India and also from Pakistan. The exhibition has been a regular at Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and other parts of India for last four years.
Speaking about the objective behind organising it in the city, Vandana Palsani said, “Bhubaneswar is growing and therefore needs to be exposed to good designs.”
Apparels:
The exhibits included a blend of varied cultural hues from Kolkata, Mumbai and Pakistan. Sarees, salwars, dresses in cottonsilk, georgette, chiffon and other fabrics were available in a price range of ` 1000 to ` 35,000.
An amalgamation of tradition and modernity was reflected in the designs displayed.
A stall called ‘Red Pakistan’ of designer Ashley Taneja from Lahore presented exclusive pakistani flavour of salwar kurtas and dupattas.
Accessories:
Gems, pearls, gold, silver, semi-precious stones and jewellery from Hong Kong, Italy and Spain attracted attention at the stalls here. The collection included feather earrings, Turkish and Kundan jewellery, cocktail rings, watches and bracelets, all within a range of ` 50 to ` 35,000.
Explaining the USP of their ware, designers from ‘KRITI’ Delhi said the jewellery they sell is skin-friendly and does not lack lustre even if used daily as they lacker it themselves.
Dhanraj Verma a designer from Bikaner, Rajasthan presented a wide range of jewellery along with watches starting from ` 650 onwards. He had an exclusive collection of water-proof ribbon watches with varied colour ribbons.
Footwear:
‘Adda’ from Mumbai and ‘Tunes’ from Delhi showcased their traditional, fancy and trendy in-house designs. The price range varied from `1500 to `3500.
Home Decor:
Food-mats, fluffy blankets and bed-sheets to wedding collection from Ruchi Damani’s exclusive designs was also displayed here. The price range began from `150 and went up to ` 10,000.
The Colloquial Corner:
One stall was also dedicated to the folk art of Odisha where Patachitras, sculptures and tribal jewellery were displayed.
“The designs are all fresh and these designers have exquisite stuff. For the first time I have seen such a collection here,” said a visitor.
Melange also plans to organise another exhibition in January next.