Hyderabad-based designer Archana Jaju, whose eponymous label turns 25 this year, has just put out ‘Revival’, which has red-crowned cranes as the core of the collection. The pastels lend it an old-world feel. A candid chat with Archana, whose signature has been handlooms and handicrafts, on the making of the collection.

Archana Jaju

Hyderabad-based designer Archana Jaju, whose eponymous label turns 25 this year, has just put out ‘Revival’, which has red-crowned cranes as the core of the collection. The pastels lend it an old-world feel. A candid chat with Archana, whose signature has been handlooms and handicrafts, on the making of the collection.

‘Revival’ looks vintage-y warm. Cranes have come back into your collections time and again. Why do they inspire you so much?

The natural beauty of the red-crowned crane and its delicacy is what inspires my work in this collection. Their unique appearance, which blends in shades of black, white and red, resonates really well with the pieces of this collection. Another exclusive feature of these graceful birds is that they are always together in pairs and are known especially for their unity and indomitable strength. This acted as an immense source of inspiration and made me explore these beautiful birds further in my designs.

The setting looks striking. Where did you shoot the line?

When I first saw the cranes in the national park, what really drew my attention was the scene with the cranes near the water. It was very memorable and through Revival, I tried to incorporate the exact same scene. It was done by creating a framing that replicated this scene with the red-crowned cranes and represented the live picture through this collection. This would also help in establishing a deeper connection between the viewer and the setting of the collection.

The collection has a laid-back feel to it. What would you say is the mood board?

Revival is a classic depiction of nature and its beauty through pieces that perfectly capture its essence. The colour palette provides a sense of tranquillity and calmness. The intricate embroidery details and mirror-work also bring in textures that help in conveying the mood. The minimalistic forms and the simple silhouettes resonate well with the delicate nature of the red-crowned cranes and justify the inspiration of this collection.

Tell us about your love for Kalamkari...

Kalamkari is an art form that is very close to my heart. I have always strived at taking inspiration from the deeply rooted traditions of this art form and in the process, added a contemporary touch to it. Each piece in this design is exclusively hand-painted by the artisans and the intricate detailing of elements is what makes these pieces unique. With an aim to preserve the authenticity of this art form, the colours used in the process are extracted from completely natural sources and there is no use of chemicals involved. This is incorporated on multiple silhouettes for all age groups to experience the charm of these pieces. This gives me an opportunity to present the rich traditional art of kalamkari by amalgamating it with a slightly modern aesthetic.

Your colour palette is so earthy. Tell us about your use of colours…

Kalamkari is used extensively and the designs are created by using completely natural dyes, which have an earthy tint to them and include colours such as indigo, green and mustard. All of these colours are obtained from natural sources. For instance, for the colour black, jaggery is blended with water and iron filings, which is utilised primarily to outline the sketches. When it comes to mustard or yellow, it is obtained by boiling pomegranate peels, and hues of red are created from the bark of madder or algirin. Blue is derived from indigo itself and green is acquired by mixing yellow and blue together.

Do you paint yourself?

No, I don’t paint myself. Our designs are worked on by our team of extremely skilled artisans in our workshop in Srikalahasti.

Since we are talking about ‘revival’, what are some of the textiles that you would like to revive?

Over the years, we have established our workshops in multiple clusters of India by weaving our own saris and fabrics. There are many such textiles that I would love to revive, including Kanjeevaram, Venkatagiri, Benarasi, Paithani and Kota.

What is your plan for the label in future?

I dream of having a brand that is relevant to the times and showcases products that are available in multi-designer stores across the globe. I also aim at experimenting with many more craft clusters across India and collaborating with artisans to create many such mesmerising pieces.