Bag to differ

It's a well-known fact that Chandigarhs fashion market is bling-driven with most designer boutiques dishing out embellishment-heavy garments and accessories to match.

In the potpourri of bags available in leather and synthetic materials,designer Bhavneet Kaur Ahuja infuses freshness with khadi

It’s a well-known fact that Chandigarhs fashion market is bling-driven with most designer boutiques dishing out embellishment-heavy garments and accessories to match. Also,crepe overpowers raw silk in winter just as georgette rules over cotton in summers. Khadi rarely ever finds place in a Punjabi brides trousseau or in the wardrobe of a kitty party regular,both of whom form the larger chunk of customers that designers in this city cater to. In this potpourri,designer Bhavneet Kaur Ahuja is a misfit. But thats the good thing. Her label BK,launched over a year ago,offers a refreshing choice with practical yet stylish,trendy yet comfortable line of suits and tunics in pure cotton. Block-printed cotton and south Indian textiles is what she works with,apart from raw silk and more recently Assamese silk. Ahuja has now added khadi to her list.

I have always liked working with cotton,its best for summer. Khadi has interested me and this Spring-Summer I am going to make the most of it, says Ahuja who has a studio in Sector 47 and a workshop in Delhi. Apart from designing tunics and suits,patchwork and thread embroidery are her only embellishments the designer will be extending the use of khadi in her line of ethnic-chic bags. A believer that the most charming of outfits can sometimes look incomplete,if not paired with the right accessories,Ahuja launched a line of bags,clutches,hobos in Italian leather with Indian motifs. last year. The bags got a good response but I want to make them completely Indian and khadi works really well, informs the designer,an alumnus of the National Institute of Fashion Technology,Delhi where she studied leather apparel and design technology before working in leading leather export houses. The khadi clutches in earthy hues like mud brown,basil green and black are particularly impressive and boast of unique block-printed motifs. Most karigars have pre-set blocks and I have to customise mine.

It requires a lot of hand labour, says the 32-year-old who even coordinates suits with a matching bag on demand. I have also designed textile bags and smaller totes that would appeal to a younger age group, informs Ahuja.

Priced Rs 500 onwards,its a pocket-friendly

collection. I am now looking to tie-up with stores to retail them but will now hold exhibitions at the end of this month, sums up Ahuja.

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Bag to differ

It's a well-known fact that Chandigarhs fashion market is bling-driven with most designer boutiques dishing out embellishment-heavy garments and accessories to match.

It's a well-known fact that Chandigarhs fashion market is bling-driven with most designer boutiques dishing out embellishment-heavy garments and accessories to match.