Nature clad

Banjaras is organising a fashion show — Adwait – on Januray 31 at Royal Connaught Boat Club from 7 pm. With its unique concept of making common people walk the ramp, lies in the fact that it will make an attempt to break the myth that natural fabric is only for kurtas but that it is for both the fashion conscious and comfort lovers.

Neeta Deshpande,proprietor,Banjaras,says,“The whole idea behind having common people from various walks of life,is that we wanted to make fashion more practical. So anybody,from any walk of life,who can carry off the fabric with confidence,can be a model here. Though we have non-professional models,but the approach is professional. From designer to choreographer everything is planned with precision.”

The show would have four rounds that includes — The Indian Memsahib- dedicated to the graceful six yard,Pardesi- Desi- A round of fusion wear,Karigari- Indian wear,emphasising on the excellence of our craftpersons andBroadway- Pure western wear,gowns and dresses.

Soumya Chaturvedi,who is working as a business excellence department head with a renowned manufacturing unit,says,“I am more than happy to walk the ramp for Banjaras. Not only because I have been associated with it since long,but also because I support the cause whole-heartedly. I am walking the ramp for western and Indo-western dresses,which is a strong message that natural fabric is not only about loose fitting clothes,it is equally suitable to a western cut and can be worn as a skirt or even a trouser. Apart from promoting natural fabric,it has also given me an opportunity to come out of my mundane routine life and do something exciting that boosts a lot of confidence.”

The organization also takes this opportunity to pay a tribute to the intense skillsmanship and creativity of all artisans in India,especially of those 10 states,which are producing natural fabric.

Pallavi Kulkarni,student,who is also modeling for Banjaras,says that she has no intention to make a career in modeling and her association is purely out of her love for the fabric. “More than half of my wardrobe is of natural fabric and I plan to convert it totally,” she adds.

The show also has participants from Mumbai,who make it for the weekend rehearsals.

The infectious enthusiasm in the participants is making it all the more special,as they come from far off places to practice. Dr Swati Apte,dermatologist,says,“Its like taking time for ourselves,because we enjoy the whole exercise. Though it demands time,but we get much more in return like – oodles of confidence after walking the ramp,we develop respect for the professional models after knowing that how difficult their work is and we get to meet people and have fun with experimenting with our favorite fabric.”

Nidhi Saraswate,housewife,has already decided to switch to natural fabric and use only that in future. “The show not only allows me to help people know about the fabric but also prove to myself that I am capable of doing it right. ” says mother of a 13-year-old.