Weaves from Narayanpet and ajrakh prints from Bhuj might seem like strange bedfellows but city designer Shravan Kumar brings them together for his Spring/Summer 2015 collection, which he will unveil at Vancouver Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015 later this month. “I am going to be showcasing a collection that uses handlooms and which will, hopefully, appeal to an international audience. The trend world over is to have a lot of separates while showcasing on international platforms. The American clientele likes to pick separates and make their own ensembles. And my collection will have plenty of separates,” says Shravan, who is the only Indian designer to be participating in the event.
Shravan will be part of the Vancouver Fashion Week gala on September 15 and will showcase his line on September 18. This will be his second outing to the fashion week, after showcasing his autumn/winter 2014 collection at Vancouver earlier this year.
The weavers at Aalayam Society, he says, are a spirited lot who’ve helped him put together this collection, for which he has drawn inspiration from Raja Ravi Verma’s paintings. The city-based Aalayam society supports weavers specialising in Kanchi, Benaras, Mangalagiri, Vekatagiri and Narayanpet weaves. “I was enamoured by Ravi Verma’s interpretation of women taking a dip in the Ganges, at times along with their children. This line is my ode to weaves and weavers,” he says. To stay true to that belief, the outfits, he says, will have contact details of the weavers. “The last time I presented at Vancouver, a few clients placed orders directly with the weavers,” he avers.
The Spring/Summer 2015 line will have saris, trench coats, pleated short skirts, floor-length skirts, palazzos and jump suits. There will also be giveaways in the form of kalamkari scarves, bags and notebooks with handmade paper.
For a few outfits, Shravan has used organic dyes developed by students of Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University. “The ajrakh I’ve sourced from Bhuj and Ahmedabad are also with vegetable dyes,” he adds.
Men haven’t been left out of Shravan’s collection. Menswear has jackets, shirts and trousers that make use of Narayanpet weaves. “Using these weaves for men’s collection might be unusual, but the results are stunning. For some of the trousers, we used fabric from old Narayanpet saris,” says Shravan. The designer will also be doing promotions in New York and Los Angeles.
