With the evolving consciousness regarding ethical fashion and people making a conscious choice to opt for eco-friendly, sustainable means of production, there has been a remarkable shift towards handwoven and handspun fabrics. They are no longer restricted to the Indian ethnic ensembles but are being explored through a variety of silhouette styles and design detailing. On the occasion of Holi, The Telegraph chose a bunch of Kolkata-based homegrown brands creating contemporary women’s wear, embracing handwoven and handspun fabrics to put together a vibrant summer lookbook. And what could be better than a place known for its celebration of Basanta Utsav to shoot this Holi-special lookbook? Here’s how the sepia and green tones of Sonajhuri, the brown and terracotta hues of Santhal village and multi-coloured bougainvilleas of Chhuti Holiday Resort complemented the looks in each frame, donned by actresses Sauraseni Maitra and Bibriti Chatterjee...
On Bibriti, a bright blue Studio Maeve’s handspun and handwoven, naturally-dyed cotton jamdani multi-style outfit. Perfect for a summer brunch or lunch date, the look is styled with bold eyes, pink lips and a contemporary silver neckpiece from Karishmaz.
Bibriti cut a relaxed frame in an ankle-length shirt dress from Roshe, made of handwoven indigo designed with dual-colour thread hand embroidery and a slit detailing in front. An easy-to-wear, comfy summer wear, the look is completed with silver finger ring and earrings from Karishmaz, the hair worn open, pink on the lips and cheek and winged liner on the eyes. The bougainvillea-clad entrance of Santiniketan’s Chhuti Holiday Resort in the background adds colours to the frame.
Bibriti channelled a chic look in Shoulder Lab’s origami-collared shirt dress with exaggerated sleeves made of handwoven cotton and eri silk. The look is styled with silver accessories from Karishmaz on the head and fingers and a plaited bun with winged eyes and red lips.
Sauraseni posed a confident look in Divya Sheth’s handwoven naturally-dyed floral-printed baggy and comfy jumpsuit. The hair tied up into a bun, complementing red lips and silver choker from Glow N Glitter complete the look. The Sonajhuri forest in the backdrop complements the colourful looks.
Given our weather conditions, cotton and linens are the fabrics I usually wear... and short dresses. The kind of clothes we wore for the shoot, my wardrobe is very similar to that. I love florals and pastels too — Sauraseni Maitra on her spring-summer wardrobe
Sauraseni channelled an easy-breezy summer look. A handwoven indigo crop top detailed with hand embroidery and flared sleeves is worn over the halter-neck sleeveless button-down dress made of handwoven indigo from Roshe, detailed with hand embroidery and a slit in front. Chunky silver earrings from Karishmaz, the hair middle-parted and worn open with pink lips accentuate the simple look. Chhuti Holiday Resort’s garden with numerous trees add to the frame as the background.
Sauraseni looked elegant in this Arte-alter red handwoven, naturally-dyed kosa silk and khadi jamdani tunic, paired with a floral-printed beige handwoven mulberry silk dupatta with scallop and tassel detailing and silk khadi straight pants. An elaborate silver neckpiece and finger rings from Glow N Glitter, the hair tied into a bun with white bougainvillea, red lips, kohl-lined eyes and a bindi complete the look.
Bibriti cut a pretty picture in this bright pink ensemble from Arte-alter consisting of a handwoven, naturally-dyed kosa silk and khadi jamdani kurta paired with an ankle-length pair of straight pants and an overlay with jamdani design. The hair worn open with a pink bougainvillea crown, chunky silver jewellery from Glow N Glitter, winged eyes, red lips and a bindi complete the Indian ethnic festive look.
The mud and thatched huts of Khejurdanga in the Santhal village beside Sonajhuri beautifully complement the colour palette of the frame.
HAIR AND MAKE-UP NOTES
Keeping in mind the summers, I have kept the feminine looks bright with lots of fun hair accessorising and braids. I have also added lots of pop colours on the lips to brighten the post-pandemic summer mood — Abhijit Paul, make-up pro
STYLING NOTES
Santiniketan holds a very special place in my heart. So, it was special. For the lookbook, we chose designers who mostly work with natural fabrics, handwoven fabrics and sustainable fashion. We colour-coordinated the outfits with the location. Both Sauraseni and Bibriti have a strong fashion sense and identity of their own, keeping that in mind I styled on them some summer looks with shades like indigo, pastels and summer hues. We chose to style the looks with some flowers that were easily available at the location and silver jewellery as it complements the kind of outfits we chose. We used neckpieces as hair accessories that are trendy. For footwear, we chose comfy shoes that every girl has in their wardrobe — Anupam Chatterjee, stylist
The Telegraph lends an ear to the handspun and handwoven tales:
“Roshe is all about handmade and heartfelt clothing. Using fabrics handwoven by women in remote villages, we are a conscious brand supporting sustainability in fashion and empowering the artisans and their families. This particular collection ‘Nisarga’ is derived from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘by nature and for nature’ and is also inspired from the story of Indigo, which rests in the history of Bengal,” said Roshan Choudhary, designer, Roshe.
“We are a homegrown label working in an ethical and sustainable environment, forming a beautiful relationship of producing designer wear in collaboration with the artisans. We explore crafts like hand-painted kalamkari, hand embroidery, handwoven jamdani through our artisanal, handwoven and art-inspired collections. Our production is extremely nature dependant and through this collection we are particularly showcasing earthy, organic, handcrafted, ready-to-wear ensembles using the art of naturally-dyed chintz and hand-painted kalamkari,” said Divya Sheth, designer and creative head of the brand.
“We follow a sustainable means of production by using handwoven fabrics from Aagor of Ant craft (Aagor handwoven cluster based out of Assam). We work on contemporary silhouettes to make it more appropriate for the modern women of today. We aspire to make ethical fashion cool and edgy,” said Aditi Holani, founder, Shoulder Lab.
“We are an eco-friendly, slow-fashion lifestyle label which proudly promotes sustainability. Handmade and organic products will never go out of fashion. They are biodegradable, breathable, soft and comfortable. Our project enables artisans to develop a sustainable livelihood through learning design, enhancing their skills, and helping them sustain livelihood. We use natural fibres, like homegrown cotton, linen, silk and wool to weave our textiles, which decompose naturally and thereby reducing pollution. We use natural and azo-free dyes for ‘yarn dyeing’ process, thereby working towards maintaining an ecological balance by reducing water contamination,” said Priyangsu Maji(right) and Ambrish Kumar Jha, designers and co-founders, Arte-alter
“We work directly with weaving clusters in rural Bengal, weaving fabrics made from cotton that is handspun and handwoven and dyed in pigments derived from plants like marigold, madder, alum, indigo and showcase it to our clients in USA. Studio Maeve aspires to keep the rich heritage of Indian textile not only alive but also get them the exposure they deserve on a global stage. Handloom natural-dyed fabrics are naturally low in toxins, unlike many modern fabrics. They also have a tiny carbon footprint as they are made without electricity or emissions,” said Megha Agarwal, founder, Studio Maeve.
“We use handwoven fabrics from different weavers across Bengal and other parts of India for our collection in an attempt to popularise, support and spread the love for handloom. Reversible clothing has its origins in utility wear. To be able to create two outfits in one, is highlighting our endeavour to create value to a woman’s wardrobe. It helps you to be sustainable yet stylish,” said Rini Seal, designer and owner of the label.