THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Made by hand. The phrase always signifies something personal for us. With each of their products painstakingly created over months with the best of materials, the new crop of Indian designers know just how we like it. Whether it’s a traditional jamdani weave by Bengaluru-based Madhurya-worn by Priyanka Chopra at the National Film Awards ceremony-or patan patolas by Gaurang, handwoven is here to stay. Add to that, the soft canvas of organic cotton, dyed with Ayurvedic colours, what we get is Niram Neela, a two-week-old eco-friendly endeavour from the capital city. “Ever since my college days, I’ve been interested in hand loom. Over the years, I’ve looked at ways of experimenting with them and Niram Neela is the culmination of my efforts over the last two years,” begins Maanas Salim, an alumni of NIFT Mumbai.
Mindful designs
Featuring one of a kind designs, each sari at Salim’s collection takes more than 30 days to complete. Having sourced her handloom materials from renowned weavers of Balaramapuram, Salim’s saris are dipped in Ayurvedic colour concoctions, lending them earthy shades (think greys and pale reds). Though limited in choice due to the natural colour palette-extracted from turmeric, red sandalwood, Indian Maddar and the likes-experimentation at Niram Neela can be anything ranging from borders in varying widths to embroidered motifs angled towards Indian kitsch and florals.“I am hoping to make saris more appealing to the millennial crowd with funky motifs like animals. But my maiden collection, The Lotus Tale (done in muted yellow) is all about traditional motifs featuring the flower,” adds Salim who has also introduced Short Girl collection with saris sporting lesser width. Adding a touch of exclusivity to her work, customers can expect a handwritten note from Salim with each of her saris telling them all about the story behind each piece.
“At Niram Neela, each sari is special. I am currently working on a collection based on the theme of love. It’ll have a lot of reds but, I am doing away with the popular heart symbols to bring in unique motifs while trying to highlight the idea that ‘love has no season’,” elaborates the 24-year-old who’s all set to launch her web portal in a couple of weeks.
The Lotus Tale from Rs 8,000 onwards.
Available at A Few Good things, Kadavanthra
Details: facebook.com/the.niramneela/