A Handy Affair

The love for fabric and its weaves is visible as designer Rumi Biswas opens a beautiful indigo coloured silk saree. The detailing and the colours come alive as she deftly takes out one piece after the other. Bappaditya Biswas at the other end busily puts in the collection on the shelves. His designing skills bring in a fresh look . For the last four years,this Kolkata-based couple have been bringing their craft to Pune with the help of city-based designer Indira Broker. At her apartment in Aundh,one can see a splendid display of fashion in its most elemental form. The exhibition is an attempt by Broker to get designing talent to the city. At another corner,jewellery designer Falguni Gokhale displays her beautiful hand crafted designs. Brown glass beads,Venetian beads,semi-precious stones like carnelian,agate,onyx,rose quartz and amethyst graciously form beautiful motifs that,according to Gokhale,each tell a story of their own. ” Each necklace has its tale – you can see a flowering gulmohur tree,mermaid on the sea shore,the festive elephant,the soaring birds,the dancing woman,two friends,the woman in love and other motifs that bring joy and happiness in our lives.”

With an experience of over 10 years,the Biswases have tried to mix the traditional with the contemporary. “We design every piece on our own. From the number of threads to the borders,every detailing is thought about. We dye the fabrics and then give it to the weavers. It’s a classic mix of the traditional with modernity,” says Bappaditya. The collection ranges from simple cotton weaves to mixed fabrics that elegantly display off beat designs and bright colours. Called ‘Bailou’,the entire collection is hand-spun. “I always felt that the weavers were quite neglected and there was a wonderful talent that could be tapped there. Also,working in this set up gave a lot of creative freedom. Here,we create everything on our own. We can play with the yarn,” adds Rumi. The success of the enterprise reflects in the number of looms that Bailou has. “When we started,we had just two. Today,we have 450,” smiles Bappaditya.

The impressive collection by Gokhale completes the exhibition,and the effort that goes in each article is visible. “I draw the motifs by hand and then cut them with etching. It takes me around two to four days to make just one necklace,but I really enjoy this. This is the first time I am being a part of this exhibition.”

(The exhibition will be on display on March 25 and 26 at Abhimanshri Apartment,Number 2,Baner- Pashan Link Road,Aundh from 10.30 am to 7 pm)