Benarasi weaves for sartoria lelegance

An exhibition of Benarasi sarees and stitched blouses, titled Shaher, by Good Earth will conclude today. The apparel is being exhibited at Good Earth, Banjara Hills. Shaher is a collective endeavour of Raw Mango by Sanjay Garg and Hema Shroff Patel. The collection is a juxtaposition of a vision of exciting, busy, chaotic and overwhelming life of Mumbai and the more pristine, peaceful, and predictable life of Maheshwar, in the heart of Madhya Pradesh, the two places where Hema had lived in the past.

Talking about the uniqueness in designing the collection to make it look contemporary, Hema says, “The etched designs on the grey stones of forts, temples and ripples compelled us to relook at patterns. The exaggerated scale, layout and colours, makes our collection distinctively modern and contemporary.”

Sanjay Garg, designer and founder of hand-woven saree label Raw Mango, chose the looms of Varanasi for his latest collection, which is an extension of his initiative to make handloom products more acceptable. Sanjay says, “Looms from Varanasi are known for their technical mastery in weaving together intricate designs and patterns — for the eponymous collection.

The entire collection has been developed using the kadwa brocade technique of Varanasi, which is the ornamentation of motifs using extra wefts. The patterns, which are etched in gold against a silk background, achieve a beautiful clarity.”