Konkona Sen Sharma, Kiran Rao, Deepti Naval drape themselves in the history of Indian weaves
With popular names like Konkona Sen Sharma, Deepti Naval, Kiran Rao and Neha Dhupia on board, designer Sanjay Garg's Raw Mango is doing its bit in making Indian weaves a part of conversations today.
When India's Textile Minister Smriti Irani recently urged the nation's citizens to don their favourite handloom outfits and share pictures on social media, she probably didn't expect the response to be as overwhelming as it was.
From pioneering names in the field of fashion to the nation's leading politicians, everyone shared pictures sporting the revered garment and before one knew, #IWearHandloom painted social platforms in vibrant hues of the many handlooms our country is a hub of.
While it won't be wrong to credit Smriti Irani for evoking the recent interest in the country's handloom scene, there is one man who has been translating his love and interest for the underrated textile into designs that are stunning to say the least.
We're speaking about fashion designer Sanjay Garg whose brand Raw Mango uses traditional handwoven textiles to create outfits that are downright gorgeous.
Garg's latest I Wear Handloom series seeks to explore those alleys of Indian handloom that might sometimes be overlooked but continue to be surreal anyway. And who better than actresses Deepti Naval, Konkona Sen Sharma, Neha Dhupia and director Kiran Rao to echo that?
Also Read: Here's how India's top designers are celebrating National Handloom Day
Captured by Bombay-based photographer Ritesh Uttamchandani, the pictures in the series come alongside little stories about the various weaves that comprise the handloom universe. Where veteran actress Deepti Naval is seen dressed in an elegant saree from the first ever designed sari from Raw Mango's eight-year-old collection, the oh-so-stylish actress Neha Dhupia adds her contemporary touch to a mashru saree from Garg's collection.
Yet another actress who is seen flaunting a mashru saree is Konkona Sen Sharma. The history of mashru weave is said to date all the way back to the 16th century where it was developed to "allow Muslim men to exercise some agency within a rigid sartorial system that prohibited luxury in their lifestyles."
The series also has director-producer Kiran Rao making for a stunning muse as she displays a delicate saree from Raw Mango's SOOTI collection which has the reputation of being one of the country's most glorious and ingenious weaves.
You can see more of Raw Mango's stunning work, right here.