An ode to Indian weaves and weavers

Over 30 supermodels sashaying down a temple-themed ramp, displaying an eclectic range of indigenous Indian weaves, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari — that sums up Shravan Kummar’s spectacular fashion show held on Tuesday. That’s not all, keeping with the spirit of the show, ‘An Ode to Weaves and Weavers’, the swish set of Hyderabad, including actors, sportspersons and business bigwigs turned up dressed in designer handloom finery.“I have used weaves from the remotest locations fromall over the country. We used Khadis, Mangalagiris, Narayanpet, Benaras, Kanjeevaram, Chanderi, Paithanis, Salem, Venkatgiri, Uppada, Pochampalli — all end-to-end handlooms,” says Shravan, who has supported over a 1000 weavers in Sri Padmajyothi Khadi village of AP. “weavers in India, who are the inheritors of an age-old handloom legacy, are unable to survive with the pittance they make. We need to act soon before we lose this rich legacy. Our weaves are our national heritage,” says the designer, whose line consisted of white drapes, capes and deconstructed Indian silhouettes.
Shravan’s signature silhouettes stood out — gold-embellished Peter Pan collars on white Indian kurtas; Banarasi brocades for strapless dresses paired with dhoti pants et al. The Nizami influence was evident in the regal sherwanis, shararas, and gold and white blends. The models also wore maang tikas, chaand balis and uncut temple jewellery, Tiraa by Tibarumal Jewels. The hospitality partner of the evening was Hyderabad International Convention Centre. “Adhering to our time honoured tradition of promoting art and culture we are proud to associate with Shravan Kummar, who is a name to reckon with in the field of revival and reinvention of eco-friendly fabrics,” said Neil Paterson, GM, Novotel & HICC. — Anisha Sircar