This Salt Lake store is a vibrant, colourful place: the walls are lined with elaborate, eye-catching lehengas and other outfits in the richest fabrics, all in Bandhni style, and it all adds up to a shimmering feast for the eyes. But up on one wall hang a few frames that are quite unusual.

Pink Benarasi Bandhni lehenga in pure georgette with Benarasi Bandhni dupatta in pure georgette and hand-embroidered Gota Patti blouse in green raw silk Rashbehari Das

One of them features an old woman; the others have in them old, hand-stitched silk blouses with intricate embroidery in silver thread that still looks burnished bright. The design on one blouse has tiny peacocks ranged among silver branches, foliage and flowers, and even the peacock’s feathers are detailed lovingly. “She is my inspiration,” says designer Naina Jain, who is behind the brand of the same name that has at its core Bandhni but constantly innovates it with other usually traditional practices and fabrics.

Naina Jain Rashbehari Das

The old woman in the picture is Gulab Bai, Naina’s grandmother. A perfectionist, Gulab Bai, who stitched these blouses and embroidered them, was a meticulous artist, says Naina. Growing up under the protective wing of her grandmother in Rajasthan, Naina inherited her passion for the finer things, including for Bandhni.

Gulab Bai Rashbehari Das

Other than that, Naina is self-taught. Settled in Calcutta after her marriage, Naina started off in 1997 in a small way with Bandhni saris from her Salt Lake home (which houses her store in the ground floor now).

Her first collection flourished, and Naina forayed into embroidered garments, which were met with encouraging reviews from her customers, friends and family. Then she renamed her brand, which is now synonymous with Bandhni.

Beige Gaji silk sari with red Bandhni and maroon low-back crepe blouse Rashbehari Das

Each of her pieces is hand-crafted, and combines Bandhni with interesting other styles, creating a richness not only of texture, but also of aesthetic. She believes that style does not have an expiry date and is not reserved for a particular age.

Naina travels extensively in Kutch to work with Bandhni workers, but she also adds to Bandhni other parts of India: her designs incorporate elements of Paithani, Benarasi and Lucknowi styles and experiment with embroideries like Zardozi and Gotta Patti. She designs for clients between age 20-80, anybody who would loves glamour with a touch of tradition.

Green Benarasi Bandhni lehenga in pure georgette with red Benarasi Bandhni dupatta in pure georgette and blue hand-embroidered Gota Patti blouse in raw silk Rashbehari Das

The label creates a range of saris, kurtas, skirts and gowns. Each piece undergoes couture craftsmanship and experienced hand-finishing.

The label is available in Naina Jain stores in Calcutta and Delhi and in multi-designer stores in several cities.

• Models: Damayanti Giri, Madhuja Aditya Chaudhuri and Soumasri Banerjee
  
• Hair and make-up: Sneha Verma
  
• Styling: Proloy Dasgupta
  
• Jewellery courtesy: Avama Jewellers
  
• Creative direction: Nick Rampal
• Location: The Salt House, Calcutta