She uses sujani embroidery
“I work with sujani, a traditional form of embroidery from Bihar. I try and look at it in a new way. The idea is to study the craft, understand its strengths, and then translate it in a way that will create interest about it all over again.”
She’s giving it a new form
“Traditionally, it was used on quilts (especially for newborns because it was soft) which were also given as dowry. But it wasn’t used on clothing. The silhouettes I’m working with are new to the craft. For this line, I’ve used Tussar silk, locally sourced from Jharkhand, to create jackets and silhouettes that aren’t season specific. The line includes dresses and trousers – some inspired by Jodhpuris – and tunics.”
She focuses on the craft rather than the commercial aspect of fashion
“Only this year I’ve started retailing at London’s LN-CC [a prominent concept store] – that’s a capsule collection too – and now at Bungalow 8 in India. Business is also something that’s new to me. When I work with the sujani artists, the idea is to create something that can only be made by hand; so much [effort] goes into it that the pieces don’t fit into a [fast-fashion or season-specific environment]. The pieces are one-of-a-kind, and to my mind, they don’t fit within a retail space easily.”
She’s ungendered her clothes – even though they’re meant for women, the lookbook features a male model
“My embroideries are usually fluid. There’s very little structure to it. This time I used some maths to give it some structure [hence the name, Some Maths]. That got me thinking, and I looked at ‘maths’ in a social context; I explored the notion of ‘equality’, which somehow led me to an ungendered campaign.”
Prices start at Rs 15,000 and go up to Rs 3 lakhs. Available at Bungalow 8, Wankhede Stadium, North Stand E & F Block, D Road, Churchgate, Mumbai. Tel:022 2281 9880. Bungaloweight.com
