In the hullabaloo and grandeur of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s wedding recently, India witnessed a flamboyant showcase of Bharat’s legacy of exquisite weaves, crafts and couture. And while we make a mental note of which celeb flaunted which mainstream designer, here’s doffing our hat to one eminent revivalist who has been championing the cause of giving a fabulous dimension to our country’s heritage textiles without making too much noise. Metaphorically though she does make beautiful symphonies of style and substance.
A coveted label for all those connoisseurs who understand the beauty of authentic handloom luxury sarees and handcrafted separates, at the Ambani wedding too, industrialist and scientist Swati Piramal was seen donning a gorgeous creation from her atelier. If that wasn’t enough, Nita Ambani was seen in a Vidhi Singhania katan silk Banarasi saree with the motif of Shrinath ji woven across the palla at a cultural event in NMACC celebrating the spiritual aura of Shri Krishna just days after the wedding extravaganza ended.
Is the mainstream media going into a tizzy about it? Singhania opines that it’s best they don’t. For the excessive glare upsets the focus she has always diligently put into her work. That the country’s top power women are her patrons bears testimony to her prodigious involvement with the craft. A few months ago, she felt honoured to gift a Pashmina creation of hers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has always walked the talk when it comes to the endorsement of Bharat’s heritage weaves and crafts.
Revivalist’s Modus operandi
Known for her predilection to play with the quintessential bright Indian hues, Singhania has always presented a juxtaposition of solid colour blocking and pastel hues coupled with immaculate techniques in weaving. There is a purported play of opposites, where the design doyen combines bright jewel hues and softer shades. “When anyone asks me what the colour of the season is, all I tell them is that India is about all colours. We don’t have to follow trends to wear colours. We celebrate the entirety of the hues,” elaborates the revivalist, whose career spans almost 30 years ever since she initiated an establishment in Kotah, Rajasthan, working with the weavers there to popularise the Kotah weaves.
While the traditional sarees were pretty, she brought in the luxury element with a play of woven motifs, surface hand embroidery and gold foil printing. With her popularity soaring among the handloom saree and craft lovers, she had to extend her repertoire to the fascinating world of Banarasi weaves but her leitmotif in this humongous category was always playing around with traditional India-inspired motifs of the camel, horse, kites and elephants (all woven in sparkling zari) and yet a serene yet striking representation of Shrinathji, the Nandi cow, Bhagwan Buddha, the auspicious parrots and pomegranate, the honey bee and her honey comb. Grabbing the attention of a comparatively younger audience, she also added a fun element with delicate butterflies in silver and gold zari, birds in flight denoting freedom and philosophy, the valley of flowers translated into a saree through unique design. Banarasis, in their butter soft and silken avatar became luxurious as well as versatile wherein they even fit into the corporate boardroom format. For instance, her checkmate saree uses the nostalgic shatranj story while the intricate jaal is smart enough for an important office meeting. There are intricate jamavars as well as sarees strewn with the kilangi buta. “In one particular kind of a Banarasi there are birds perched on a majestic tree, inspired from Vrindavan’s Sanjhi work. All this thread together India’s rich culture and heritage,” says Singhania, adding, “There’s a balance needed in every collection. Hence, we have a blend of traditional, contemporary and quirky, not only through motifs but also in the techniques used. Block prints on handloom kotah with lace, mukaish work wonders for a dressy afternoon and the luxury Banaras weaves that is our signature. Then there are dressy sarees with Varq printing, shaded georgettes with woven borders and soft pearl embroidered blouses.”
The venerated textile doyen is emblematic of handwoven luxury and bespoke fables through opulent textiles. Lauded for her painstaking work in reviving the Kotah weaves of Rajasthan, the textile designer has also contributed to the vocabulary of the Banaras weaves with her remarkable designs. While her silk kotahs lend a breezy charm, her zari kotahs are heirloom pieces—rich, luxurious and elegant. Working in tandem with the weavers of Kotah, Sultanpur, Mangrol and Kaithun, Singhania’s aesthetics have given a fillip to the light handwoven fabric, translating to fluid stories in Indian ethnic wear, with a prominent focus on the sari. But not one to pigeonhole her creativity, her canvas stretched itself to the banks of Varanasi, where her creations attained an extravagant light, through motifs that are Indian at heart but global in look. Think parrots and parakeets, elephants and horses, camels and kites. But in hues and perspectives that are modern chic. While she has revived the traditional junglas, shikaargah and jaals, there are offbeat expressions as well on the gethua fabric using the intricate kadhwa technique.
“No two sarees are similar. That makes every piece coveted, hence luxurious. Luxury is about elegance and grace. This aspect makes them stand out. Bright and beautiful Indian colours and the sheen of the zari, which don’t over power the wearer’s personality. Rather they compliment her beauty. That is something that marks our label,” says the designer. One common thread that binds these works is the finesse of the loom.
Giving Weavers their due
This fruitful journey, admits Singhania, would not have been as enriching without the skill as well as input of the weaver. Ultimately it is the weaver who makes a designer’s dream come to life. He has to think in tandem with the creative acumen of the designer and should be willing to experiment in order to render a traditional textile with that substantial element of modern chic. “The kotah saree is no more a simplistic six yard with a plain bagru border that women earlier preferred for its lightness,” she explains. Today, courtesy her toil, the kotah saree is well stationed amongst the most luxurious textiles that women sport in cocktail dos and dinners. With a subtle touch of bling and by modernising designs and weaves, the revivalist has given a new lease of life to kotah. But the designer humbly admits that nothing would have been possible without the splendid weavers of Kotah, Sultanpur, Mangrol and Kaithun.
Born and brought up in Mumbai, Singhania shifted to Kotah, Rajasthan in 1982. This was the beginning of her foray into textiles and fashion. She saw how the fine fabric was being neglected due to the old designs that the weavers mostly created. She realised that the fabric is rich enough but would require a contemporary thrust to gain back its splendour and popularity. She worked closely with the Kotah weavers and helped them revive the textile making it a modern fashion statement with her own intrinsic stamp of style. However her journey with kotah commenced thoroughly by chance. “Initially I decided to work with these weavers so that these fabrics could be used for corporate gifting. But soon it appeared that the kotah had immense potential. Whatever I made, sold. The design inputs I gave to these weavers were appreciated amongst discerning fashionistas. So, I decided to launch my eponymous label so that I could work largely with kotah and these weavers. But then I ensured that people saw the textile as just not another simple saree. It should become a veritable style statement. We worked on the danier of the Kotah fabric so that silk kotahs were more fluid. And over a period of time I realised that if I were to create luxury sarees, I would have to bring the weaves of Banaras into my portfolio and they formed an intrinsic part of festive and wedding wear.” Let’s just say, Singhania’s work has just begun. Going by the sartorial shores she is embarking for, it would be interesting to watch what her creative acumen has in store for the future.
Sharmi Adhikary is a senior lifestyle journalist and columnist with a yen for exploring interesting concepts in fashion, culture and cinema.
- Sharmi Adhikaryhttps://organiser.org/guest-author/sharmi-adhikary/
- Sharmi Adhikaryhttps://organiser.org/guest-author/sharmi-adhikary/
- Sharmi Adhikaryhttps://organiser.org/guest-author/sharmi-adhikary/
- Sharmi Adhikaryhttps://organiser.org/guest-author/sharmi-adhikary/
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