Cute with heaps of childhood nostalgia. Fashion label Parama’s Saraswati Puja collection Turmeric is #throwbackchildhood. We caught up with designer Parama Ghosh on her label’s latest offering.

The collection looks art-driven and beautiful. Can you take us through the making of this range?

For most of us (Bengalis), Saraswati pujo would mean prothom sari (our first sari). And, of all the things I love making, clothes for kids are my most favourite. So I had planned to celebrate Saraswati pujo through our little collection of jama (frocks) and ready-to- wear sari-blouse sets for little girls.

We made this collection keeping in mind that it could be her “first sari” and firsts are always special. We made them dynamic and more functional.

We have named the collection “Turmeric”. The colour yellow is synonymous with basanta (spring) and Saraswati pujo. And turmeric is a natural healer, like children are.

What is the inspiration behind the Saraswati Jama?

The jama we made for Saraswati pujo depicts Ma Durga and baby Saraswati, embroidered on handwoven Jamdani fabric. Saraswati’s bahon sits in one corner in the form of a toy duck. Saraswati has a blank/hassled look when her mother asks her to spell her own name! Here, I have added the most commonly used phrase related to Saraswati pujo. “If you can’t spell Saraswati, how would she bless you?” — this is something we have heard all our childhood, from our parents. Also, every time the local kids came to collect chanda (subscription for the para pujo), the adults would ask, “Saraswati banan kor toh!” (spell Saraswati). If they couldn’t, it meant, they would leave the house empty-handed. The phrase “Saraswati banan kor toh!” is a childhood emotion for all Bengali kids. This idea of mine was beautifully illustrated by my friend, Tanuka Ray.

Saraswati Jama Model: Adwitiya Mitra | Pictures: Sayan Dey

You love palash and the Palash Sari has childhood written all over it. It just took us back to school Saraswati Puja celebrations. Tell us a bit about this sari.

My first design for my brand, six years back, was palash phool. In fact my brand’s logo is a wreath of palash. A flower that has no smell, no frills but its flaming tangerine wings can set the heart on fire. As a child, we would mark the advent of spring with these flowers. And on Saraswati pujo day, they found place at the Mother’s feet near the dowat (earthen inkpots).

My first choice of sari was therefore palash phool. They are delicately hand embroidered over hand-block printed yellow fabric. We chose yellow because it is the colour of basanta (spring) and is almost the official colour code for Saraswati pujo. The block-printed fabric-frills on the sari make it fun and quirky.

While making this sari set, I could not think of any other colour because our childhood Saraswati pujo days were dotted with young girls wearing marigold-yellow saris, their freshly shampooed tresses let loose, their endless giggles and their uncomfortable steps in their first ever drape, the endless wait for thakur moshai to arrive and khichuri and labra for lunch at school. I think “yellow” also takes me back to the colour of the khichuri bhog.

Blue Bougainvillea Dhoti Sari Model: Adwitiya Mitra | Pictures: Sayan Dey

What was the idea behind The Blue Bougainvillea Dhoti Sari?

In the “Turmeric” collection, we have added dhoti sari sets. When we made dhotis for little boys last year, we found many mothers buying dhotis for their daughters. We wanted to marry the dhoti and sari in one piece of clothing. They are easy to wear, tackle and are more functional. We have embroidered flowers we love, on these sets, especially bougainvillea. It is a favourite flower. The love for mundane and ordinary is something I have genetically inherited. I have always loved flowers that are everyday, grow on terraces, have no overpowering fragrance. All the flowers that you find on my garments are everyday flowers. The bunch of bougainvillea on blue is one of my most favourite combinations made till date.

Pink Lotus Dhoti Sari Set Model: Adwitiya Mitra | Pictures: Sayan Dey

Lotus, too, is one of your favourites and the Pink Lotus Dhoti Sari has such a playful innocence about it. Can you take us through designing this one?

The Pink Lotus Dhoti Sari is another piece of clothing where dhoti marries sari. Made on dual-toned sunset pink, it is lined with cute block-printed frills. We have used a lot of hand-block-printed fabric in this collection. Lotus, for some strange reason, always bring along with it the “pujo-pujo” feeling. I added them on the pallu to match with the prints on the blouse. We call this set “Podmo-Deeghi” (lotus pond).

Saraswati Puja and saris go hand-in-hand. What are your sari memories from the occasion?

Like most Bengali girls, my first official sari was the Saraswati pujo sari worn during my “haatey khori”. When I think of it now, I find it so beautiful that my first written words and the first sari came to my life on the same day. And I love both in equal measures. I studied in a Brahmo school where there was no idol worship. And hence, there was no Saraswati pujo. But we had elaborate pujo at home. And I would always wear saris on that day. I still remember how the weather would still be cold and yet that was the only day we acquired the licence to not wear sweaters. Because we thought sweaters spoilt the entire sari-look.

When I was in college, Saraswati pujo became a Bengali’s Valentine’s Day. I joined the bandwagon and dressed up to impress my then boyfriend, now husband. We two have beautiful memories of Saraswati pujo together, especially the one where he and I visited the Book Fair. The sari edges turning grey with Maidan dust created incessant rebuke at home and a lifetime of happy flashbacks. What is common in all these memories is the colour of my sari — yellow.

Are the dhoti styles to ease kids into this versatile garment?

Yes. Kids are often not comfortable in a sari. In order to ease that, the dhoti sari comes to their rescue. It is a nice way of introducing children to this timeless garment.

Tell us about the blouses too...

The blouses are made with a lot of love. They are made out of hand-block printed fabric. We added fun sleeves, cute collars and lined them with the softest mul cotton, which is perfect for a baby’s skin. The blouses come with the sari as a set.

Though this is a kiddie collection, we love all the styles! Give us some tips to dress up this Saraswati Puja too...

Like I said, for me, Saraswati pujo is sari. And my most preferred colour would be yellow. Just like turmeric is applied on a would-be-bride’s skin to add glow before her wedding day, I feel the colour yellow adds that glow on every woman wearing it. It is such a happy colour just like the pujo itself. Saraswati pujo is less religious and more of a celebration. The celebration of not having to touch school books for two days, the joy of finding your crush stealing glances with you during anjali, the bliss of hot khichuri and beguni when you are starving from the purut moshai’s late entry. In all these little moments, what is common is a sari.

Who are your favourite real-life Saraswatis?

Saraswati is the goddess of learning. On those lines, life has been my greatest Saraswati. On a more serious note, my maternal grandmother, my Bengali teacher from school Sudeshna Moitra, my ex-boss Sucharita Basu and Sheryl Sandberg (author of Lean In) are women I consider real-life Saraswatis. I have learnt about life from them in a way no book can ever teach.