Classic and simply handsome. Tilfi Banaras has launched its first menswear edit as part of its new collection, Spring Pairings. Aditi Chand, co-founder and CEO of Tilfi Banaras, tells t2 how it is a natural progression and shares her plan for the new vertical.
How did your menswear line come about?
It was a natural evolution for the brand. Many of our male patrons had reached out to us for options to incorporate our textiles into their lives, so we decided to expand our product offering to include the same. This is our first capsule collection of menswear and part of our ongoing effort to showcase the versatility of Banarasi handloom textiles for both women and men.
How exciting and different was it making menswear?
It is always exciting to begin something new, and discovering the right aesthetic for our foray into menswear was a thoroughly enjoyable creative endeavour. While we’ve always had the skills needed to create a menswear line, we wanted to ensure that the collection reflects Tilfi’s unique perspective and design sensibility.
What are your plans with menswear?
We aim to broaden our range of classic Banarasi textiles in menswear over the course of the year with new apparel releases.
What have you launched with?
This capsule collection showcases subtle yet elevated seasonal looks for men and women. In understated shades of blue, beige, and rose pink, the collection features pure Monga silk sadri jackets, bandhgalas, and full-sleeved long jackets for men, with clean cuts in a play of symmetry and asymmetry. The garments are slightly adorned with distinctive handwoven patterns which draw inspiration from the intricate ceramics and blue pottery of Khurja and Multan. They can be paired with the capsule’s white Chanderi silk kurta sets for men, carefully hand-embroidered for subtle texturing.The women’s lightweight suit, Anarkali, and lehnga sets also exhibit intricate handwoven patterns and sharp embroidery, revealing neatly arranged geometric shapes and dotted patterns upon closer inspection. The ensembles are completed with sheer organza lace dupattas in faded rose and off-white hues. The collection also features saris with graceful Banarasi jangla florals in warm, earthy tones, showcasing Tilfi’s signature meenakari artistry.
What did you keep in mind while putting together the collection?
The collection highlights the soft palette of spring, composed with a balance of earthy and cooling tones to suit the season. Like all our other collections, we wanted to create a line of understated and timeless garments that quietly evoke our craft heritage. The pieces, both handwoven and hand-embroidered, are delicate, intricate, unfussy, and minutely detailed, designed to keep the focus on craftsmanship.Tilfi’s Spring Pairings collection has been created for the timeless serenity and lushness of the spring season, with soft fabrics, pastel tones, and understated yet intriguing patterns. It embraces a more minimalistic approach for the season, capturing the diffused hues of spring through delicately handwoven and hand-embroidered textiles. Imagined in pairs with a menswear line as well, it creates balanced arrangements in pure silk, resulting in classic and timeless silhouettes for men and women. It has a charming and sophisticated colour palette, including shades of dusty rose pink, soft peach, beige, off-white, light blue, and royal blue.
What are your picks for spring-summer?
Our picks from spring-summer would be soft lightweight silks in dulcet tones, ethereal koras, effortlessly elegant cotton Jamdanis and easy georgettes.
What are summers in Benaras like?
Every season in Benaras is enjoyed in equal measure. Summers bring warm, languorous days, cooled off with chilled thandai or lassi and completed with afternoon siestas. It is the season to be carefree and lazy.
Do you remember your childhood summers?
Since my father was in the armed forces, an itinerant military lifestyle meant that every other childhood summer was spent in a different city. Yet, summers were always a time for leisure. Each summer was an opportunity to stop and pause and indulge in creative pursuits — reading, dance, poetry or painting. An opportunity to be thoroughly bored — that singular state of being that fosters the best of ideas and creativity.
Summer vacation means...
Idling.
