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“Samudra”, Sanskrit for “the joining of waters” figuratively explaining the vastness of the sea. “Coalesce” also means to blend. By combining the likes of these two words, the collection brings you an amazing amalgamation of colors. “Samudra” gives you an innovative collection of clamp dyed sarees complete with origami based appliqué work scattered through the lengths of the borders and the pallu of the 6-yard wonder.
Just as one walks across the shore of the ocean and gently steps amongst the shells embedded in the sand, the origami glistens in its magnificence along the bands of color. The yellows emanate the brightness of the sun glazing upon the shore and with it glints across the blue-ish green sheets that sparkle over the face of the earth. Subtle and suave, the blocks of color dyed in the chanderi cotton stretches. Along these bands of color lies the collection of origami instinctively stitched with precise attention.
“Samudra – the Coalescence”; Sarees that take your breath away with the salty sky
“Samudra – the Coalescence”; Coastal, tactile and airy drapes that fly
These saris were created and presented as my Graduation Project whilst pursuing my degree at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Chennai. This collection is entirely handmade with the base material being Chanderi cotton in beige which was sourced from Parrys Corner, Chennai. These designer sarees are now available at the Amethyst Cafe in Royapettah, Chennai located in India.
I mainly experimented with how color blocking could be worked on a fabric which was close to 6-yards long. Given the stipulated dimensions of a typical saree, playing around with the layout and colors was an exhilarating experience, to say the least. Of course, creating the Tussar origami pieces, each measuring 1″x 1″ was honestly a tedious process, but the result was appealing.
All credits go to Kaya’s Classic Handcrafted Sarees situated in RA Puram, Chennai in India, for without their sponsorship, this project wouldn’t have resulted in the magnanimous way it did. Special Thanks to Geethika and Dianoshiya Dorothy from the Textile Design Department of the National Institute of Fashion Technology for modeling and Sangh Sheel Rajan from the same department for his assistance with styling.
THE EXPERIENCE -
SAMUDRA, which is pure Sanskrit for *the joining of water bodies*, was a collection of clamp dyed Chanderi cotton sarees that signified the vastness of the ocean.
In this collection, I aimed to be able to express the calm nature of a tropical landscape coupled with the textural extravagance of the sand that one would see whilst a trip to the beach. Similar to the former collection, these sarees were also made entirely by myself, start- ing from the clamping to the applique and the finishing. It was a mind-blowing experience, to be able to offer the market an authentic handmade product, but the entire process has made me an expert in hands-on creation.
The colors were inspired by the tropical scene and instead of utilizing patterns, the idea was to provide a colorful base, so the origami could emphasize the fabric. This collection also was a part of my graduation project and collected a lot of good reviews from various textile experts. The collection was even displayed in a fashion show that took place in the National Handloom Export Promotion Council's annual fair.the idea of utilizing origami. By applying simple folds to fabric and attaching it to the base material in a scattered fashion, I was able to achieve a tactile quality that not a lot of people have seen to be used on sarees.
It was an enjoyable challenge to be able to convince customers that a saree with origami applique on the fabric was a saleable product, but eventually, the uniqueness is what provided to be the attraction factor by many, based on the feedback received. As a result of the show, collection gained a lot of recognition and was telecasted in a local news station in Chennai.
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