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A twist to tradition

Last Updated 17 September 2017, 16:49 IST

Ever heard of ‘top kini’ and a ‘magic skirt’? While ‘top kini’ doubles as a blouse and bikini, ‘magic skirt’ can pass off as a skirt or a stole. Created by designers Padmaja Bhandary, Ambika Parchure and Neela Edwards, these interesting garments were among the show-stealers at the one-day exhibition, put up by the three designers in the city on September 16.

The exhibition was held under the banner of Bangallure, which was formed four months ago. The first such exhibition by the trio showcased an array of unique handmade and handcrafted products such as saris, stoles, tops, blouses, lehengas, slit skirts and jewellery. There were also colourful bags, pouches, cushion covers and light handmade quilts to choose from.

The exhibition is the result of decades of hard work. “We have always loved styling and we have had people coming to us asking for design suggestions on what to wear to special occasions. We concentrate on creating apparel for women. We source the material directly from weavers and later work on embellishing and designing them. We ideate and have tailors to execute the designs,” says Ambika, who forayed into designing when she was a teacher with Rishi Valley.

Neela says that her passion for fashion began in college. “I learnt a great deal about what went into making one look fashionable in college. One of my first collections was one for plus size women. That was good start for me,” says Neela.

Padmaja, who has always been into designing, says that this exhibition was special because it featured products designed by the three friends and also those made by the differently-abled. “We believe in creating designs that are minimalist, simple and classy. We don’t like to go overboard with our cuts and designs,” says Padmaja.

Where do they get their ideas from? Padmaja says “We get ideas from the people we meet. Our trips and holidays too give us ideas. And we also keep an eye out for unique fabrics when we are travelling.”

Talking about their top of the line creations,  Padmaja says “The ‘top kini’ is reversible and can be worn both as a blouse and as a bikini. This is for the younger lot. We thought this would perfectly suit their holiday wear. It has crochet work on one side and cotton designs on the other.”

Magic skirt is made from Chanderi and has two layers. There was a pair of shorts which was made from stretchable fabric. The ‘crochet mandala rug’ is another product to watch out for.

The trio source most of their materials from weavers in Kota, Rajasthan and Ilkal in Karnataka. The antique and silver jewellery was bought from Rajasthan and traditional pieces and gold jewellery were picked up from Maharashtra. “We are trying to revive the culture of handmade and handcrafted products through Bangallure,” says Ambika.

For more details log onto www.bangallure.comBA

DHNS

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(Published 17 September 2017, 16:49 IST)

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