Hand-crafted splendour
Hand-woven sarees are in vogue again with Vidya Balan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and the likes even flaunting these on the red carpet
Surekha Kadapa-Bose

When the charismatic Sonia Gandhi addresses her party workers it’s not just her speech that impresses everyone. Or when glamour girls Vidya Balan or Aishwarya Rai Bachchan walk the red carpet at Cannes or any other international film festival, we aren’t only bothered about the reason for them being at the event. Most women may admire their grit, talent and determination, but they also appreciate the splendid sarees these ladies are draped in.

Weavers are using neon colours, new motifs and designs to give the traditional fabric a contemporary touch

These famous women are dressed either in Maheshwari, Chanderi, Gadhwal, Kota, Jamdani, Paithani, Kanjeevaram, Tanchoi, Upada, Baluchari, Patola, Ikat or some other fabric. Most of these fabrics are centuries old, incredibly beautiful, don’t need any embellishments and are skilfully hand-woven by various craftsmen of India.

These hand-woven sarees come from different parts of India, reflecting its own quirky historical, cultural and social background. Mostly natural fibres are used in handlooms. In rural India where most of the weavers reside, women still prefer locally hand-woven sarees to power loom product. But what is surprising is that, of late, hand-woven sarees have found patronage among the urban elite and working women as well. Added to this is that even Hollywood actors, socialites and sportspersons like Julia Roberts, Liz Hurley, Angelina Jolie, Serena Williams, Naomi Campbell and many others have started experimenting with our heritage yarn by flaunting sarees, especially the Benarasi silk brocades. Even international fashion house like Hermes has come out with a limited hand-woven silk saree line.

“All of a sudden, hand-woven sarees are in vogue again. It’s a moment of jubilation,’’ says designer Deepika Govind, who has been striving to popularise the traditional wear among the masses.

The six-yard saree has withstood the onslaught of all new trends. This pan-India fashion item though still popular, had weaned away from the traditional fabric and was more dependent on artificial yarns like georgette, net, chiffon etc. Today things are a-changing.

A model walks the ramp at Lakme Fashion Week wearing a patola saree by designer Deepika Govind

Deepika is not alone in her endeavour. Almost every designer, including stalwarts like Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Ritu Kumar, Anita Dongre, Shruti Sancheti, Kallol Dutta, Anupama Dayal and so many others are 

striving to revive this once popular industry. Supporting their enthusiasm is the Ministry of Textiles which has started holding national textiles exhibitions in several cities, to popularise and increase awareness of handlooms in urban areas.

“Women are looking at the grace and simplicity of hand-woven fabrics” explains designer Shruti Sancheti who designs hand-woven and organic fabric.

In fact, stores like Anokhi, Fabindia, Bandhej, Soma, Nalli, Parisera, Khadi, Mrignayanee and several others are treasure houses of hand-woven sarees .

Deepika adds, “These are ‘handmade’ – an increasing rarity and dying art across the world and a beautiful concept worth preserving.”

According to a report by Ministry of Textiles, India has the largest handlooms industry in the world with more than 65 lakh persons engaged in weaving associated work. There are more than 32,88,556 household looms and 1,97,752 non-household looms. In fact, in a rough estimate of a single city like Benaras, where weaver numbers had dwindled from 15,000 to a mere 3,000, the last two years have seen a revival. Now the designers say the number has doubled and many weavers who had migrated to cities in search of work are returning to their roots and their traditional profession.

Heena Chhabra of Chhabra 555 says, “Though the weaves and techniques are traditional, all weavers are willing to adapt new trends and to experiment. They willingly use new colours like neon, new motifs and designs so even the traditional fabric gets a contemporary touch which fascinates even the young at heart.” 

 

Maheshwari An original saree will have less of floral patterns and more of the chatai (mat) inth (brick) and hira (diamond) weaves. The town Maheshwar in the state of Madhya Pradesh is known as a centre of these handloom sarees. It is said that queen Ahilyabai Holkar had conceived and designed these sarees woven from cotton for common man and cotton and silk for royalty with a gold zari border. Price range: Rs 2,000- Rs10,000 Gadwal The special feature of this 5.5 metre handloom saree from Gadwal, Mahbubnagar, Andhra Pradesh, is that it can be folded to the size of a small match box! So fine and exquisite is the weaving of these cotton sarees with attached silk and zari border with a matching silk pallu. Price range: Rs 2,000- Rs15,000 Chanderi It is their sheer texture, light weight and glossy transparency that has made these hand woven sarees from Madhya Pradesh popular with fashionistas in India. Specialised small butta embroidery adorns the damin (body), kinari (border) and the aanchal (pallu) . This century-old weaving art has been passed down the generations and has survived many bad times along with the history of its city. Price range: Rs1,100- Rs25,000 Uppada These are diaphanous silk sarees created in a place called Uppada in East Godavari in Andhra Pradesh. These sarees are well known for traditional handloom jamdani and unique jacquard designs. These are usually made in cotton warp and silk weft. Price range: Rs 10,000- Rs50,000 Paithani Made in Paithan, Aurangabad, Maharastra, these sarees are made from one of the finest silk and is the costliest saree from the state. It’s a prestige to own a real Paithani saree. In the olden days of Shivaji Maharaj and other Royal families, real gold zari thread was used to weave the borders and pallu. The borders are oblique square designed and peacocks, lotus flowers, leaves are a must for motifs in pallu. A Maharastrian bridal trousseau must have a Paithani. Price range: Rs 25,000 – Rs5 lakh

Framed finesse
The photo frame has been popular as a drawing room staple for centuries because it helps to capture golden moments and milestones
Divisha Saran

The most beautiful part of every picture is the frame. — G. K. Chesterton

Time was when a good picture was worth a thousand words and needed to be framed and displayed proudly on a prominent wall of the house. While a great frame enhanced the artistic value of a picture, a cheap one could diminish, or even ruin its appeal.

Though the frame has existed for thousands of years as a decorative boundary for paintings and diptychs, its modern avatar is linked to the invention of the camera image by French inventor Nicéphore Niépce around 1825. Even as photography captured the imagination of the world, the visual and symbolic status of the frame became paramount.

Back in those days, frames were made of oak and painted or covered in gold leaf or finished in silver and lacquered for protection. The valuable ones were elaborately carved and adorned the rooms of royalty and aristocracy and were called wall jewellery as these were memories of the golden moments of life.

OLIVIA RIEGEL  American designer store Olivia Riegel’s estate jewellery-inspired Winsdor frames are a class apart. The modern and dazzling pave frames are embellished with hand-set Swarovski crystals in a silver-tone metal finish. A modern take on a classic design, it is a must have for your home. Price: Rs 20,400

Adaptable formats

However, over the years, frames became more adaptable in format and framers started sourcing wood from a variety of trees. The beginning of the 20th century was the golden age of the frames as these started being made from wood procured from rosewood, mahogany, timber, walnut, pine and a host of other trees.

Photo frames became popular as decorative pieces for the drawing room around the world through most of the 20th century. But then, quite suddenly, times changed and the cheese moved. The digital revolution, which started in the 1990s, pulled the camera out of the confines of the dark room and put it in the electronic mode.

Images started getting captured and stored in the camera’s memory and the frames, too, began going out of fashion. Pictures no longer required albums or frames as these could be digitally stored on the camera’s LCD screen and transferred on to a computer or any other electronic storage device.

Digital frames

However, once people got over the initial euphoria of the changed format of images, the frame made a comeback but in a digital incarnation. This was simply an LCD screen that displayed multiple photos as in a slideshow and could be connected to the internet.

Pictures from a digital camera could be automatically transferred on to the frame and displayed in a moving format which was akin to thumbing through a photo album. What the digital frame did was to eliminate the need for physically printing the picture and framing it.

The digital frame caught the fancy of photo enthusiasts in the new millennium. Some of the good quality electronic frames costing between Rs 1,500 and Rs 7,000 also have an alarm clock and a calendar and like traditional frames, can be placed on a table-top or hung on a wall.

However, with the arrival of the digital frame, those who sounded the death knell of the conventional one were soon to be proved wrong. Like all things retro, the new millennium has seen a sudden revival of the old-fashioned frame, which is back adorning the walls of trendy homes.

The traditional frames are now are co-existing with the digital versions, which are being made by leading photo equipment companies like Kodak, Philips, Sony, Hewlett Packard, Polaroid, and a host of other organisations. Both the frame types have their set of admirers.

The conventional frame has now become more flexible and though those made from wood are still very popular, you can get affordable ones made in almost any material, including plastic, metal, acrylic, bronze aluminium, leather, papier-mache and also in gold and silver.

Price check

The prices, too, vary with every picture frame. While you can get a cardboard-and-art-paper frame for less than Rs 100, the market also has on offer custom-made frames that can cost a fortune.

Russian luxury brand Bulushoff, renowned for its fine art pieces, recently hand-crafted a translucent gold frame that sold for $100,000 (Rs 60 lakh). A four-LCD folding screen photo frame by South Korean giant Hyundai sells for $70,000 (Rs 42 lakh).

There is also a bustling antique market for antique photo frames. The most-sought after are the Art Deco and Art Nouveau frames made of oak, mahogany or walnut wood between the 19th and the middle of the 20th centuries. Many of these have intricate carvings and layers of mouldings, along with ornate brass embellishments. Some even have gold or silver leaf covering the entire frame. Depending on their condition, the genuine antiques can cost a fortune.

But one doesn’t have to be a millionaire to buy a photo frame. Depending upon your budget, you can choose from a plethora of frames that make great gifts for family, bosses, teachers and colleagues.

CARTIER This sterling silver and palladium photo frame is a part of a new collection that honours Cartier’s long-standing tradition of creating high-quality objects. Skillfully and uniquely crafted in precious leathers, metals and lacquer, each of these frames manifests the Cartier art de vivre. Price: Rs 63,900

DAVID LINLEY This attractive walnut frame is meant for your most-treasured photographs. It is made from high gloss walnut with nickel stringing detail and sterling silver plaque. Its beauty is testimony to the fact why frames by David Linley, nephew of Queen Elizabeth, are such sought-after decoratives. Price: Rs 51,750

RALPH LAUREN Drawing inspiration from a nautical round knot, the silver rope frame from Ralph Lauren is crafted from gleaming silver-plated brass and pewter. Its black canvas backing with an easel stand gives it a vintage finish and makes it an essential for a stylish drawing room. Price: Rs 8,550

Atelier This stunning frame from California-based L'Objet Atelier is handcrafted and made from gold vermeil, sterling silver and lapis stones. Emulating centuries of fine jewellery design and technique, it has exquisite detailing and is available in two sizes either with amethyst or malachite stones. Price: Rs 1.575 lakh

GARLAND NOIR Inspired by fine jewellery, this L’objet flowers frame is meticulously handcrafted, incorporating sparkling Swarovski crystals and semi-precious stones, along with 14-karat gold and platinum plating. It has classic bevelled glass, stretched leather backings and comes in a luxurious gift box. Price: Rs 20,250

VERA WANG WEDGWOOD The collaboration of two of the world’s celebrated names in luxury, Vera Wang and Wedgwood showcase a new range of silver-plated photo frames. The range of frames have been inspired by the lace used in wedding gowns and make an excellent gift for any newly weds. Price: Rs 9,000

CHLOE Exotic florals and leaves carve out an arrangement of fresh shapes on this exquisite Chloe photo frame. The frame is available in greenish blue or brushed silver colours. A 2 mm wide polished bright border,around the outside, heightens the attraction of this frame. Price: Rs 9,000

CHRISTOFLE The charming Galaxie and Confetti picture frame by Christofle, the French luxury home accessories company, is made from sterling silver and treated with anti-rust varnish. Made for precious baby pictures, it makes a great gift as it also has a matching baby cup and spoon. Price: Rs 19,350

JONATHAN ADLER This charade Greek key frame by American designer Jonathan Adler reinvents a traditional motif in contemporary design to create an exquisite decoration piece for your photos. It is chic and can fit in many different styles of decor. With this frame, your favourite memories take centrestage. Price: Rs 6,600

DISNEY The Disney photo frames are a fun way to display memorable pictures. The frames have Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto. The entire Disney gang bursts forth with glittering sculptured designs to present stellar souvenirs of your family vacation. Price: Rs 720 to Rs 2,400

GUCCI Though Gucci is one of the global leaders in fashions, it started off in 1921 as a maker of fine leather goods. The tradition continues even today as is evident from this fabulous dark brown Guccissima leather picture frame with embossed 'Gs' (for Gucci) connected in a diamond pattern. Price: Rs 35,700

KATE SPADE New York-based global luxury lifestyle brand Kate Spade’s silver-plated grace avenue frame is a beauty to behold. The attractive polished frame has a smooth surface with a tonal trim inspired by grosgrain ribbon. It comes packaged in a pretty box and makes a great gift idea. Price: Rs 8,100

PACESETTER Aarti Verma
She has designs on creativity
Aarti’s label, Art Meets Fashion, is a fusion of contemporary styles and traditional art forms
Vibha Sharma

After completing a diploma for an art teacher from the Sir JJ School of Arts, Mumbai, Aarti Verma began her work as an art and craft teacher in a school. She wanted to pursue a career in designing and was learning many things on the job. While working in the school, she was fascinated by a colleague's collection of ethnic jewellery. That inspired her to experiment with a different medium. She started trying her hand at making jewellery by using m-seal and then paper machie. Her creative designs started getting an amazing response in terms of sales. Due to a financial crisis, she had to work in a BPO job over her passion.

She dreamt of becoming a designer even during those trying times. After working in a BPO for 15 months, she decided to take a plunge. Her love for designing bloomed in the form of the label “Art Meets Fashion”. She chose learning by doing things. There were many challenges initially in terms of arranging the capital and sales which gradually started falling in place as she progressed. 

Aarti observed that when it comes to fashion, people in India are more inclined towards Western cuts and they prefer international labels over Indian ones, despite the fact that India has a lot to give in terms of designs. She was inspired by Sabyasachi Mukherjee, whose designs have been changing the Indian fashion scene and are influencing Indians to wear Indian clothes with panache. Aarti endeavours to encourage traditional native designs with global appeal. She enjoys her work immensely, of exploring, experimenting, learning and just doing what she always wanted to do. She does not plan too far ahead but she is clear that she wants to do better every day, giving it her best shot.

AMF is a designer line of fashion and home décor accessories, ranging from handbags, totes, sling bags, envelopes, clutches, jholas, cushion covers to jewellery (fabric, paper mache and ceramic). Duppattas have recently been added to this list. The theme of pictures on these items is that of Indian folk and the acrylic base is mostly used to give shape and colour to the creative art. All items are hand-crafted and hand-painted. “Our designs are very Boho in nature, very ethnic and as all designs are hand-painted, it is like carrying a piece of art along.” Though the designs are influenced by Indian traditional motifs, they have au courant touch to them, thus making them Indo-Western in nature. Looking back, Aarti introspects, “Had I done any fashion designing course, I would have ended up working either in an export house or under a designer but I am sure I won't have been as happy as I am today with my own label. Every day has been a learning experience for me. It was a little difficult in the initial days but now everything seems to be in place. She shares, “Good and bad phases come and go but if one continues to work with the heart and soul, no hurdle is big enough to become insurmountable. One must always be prepared for rejections but at the same time must have enough courage to forge ahead with the same passion and vigour.”

BLING IT ON

IN-FLIGHT LOUNGING Singapore Airlines is taking luxury and comfort to a new level. The gen-next “luxury islands” in its first-class travel have sofa seats specially designed by the BMW Group and are being installed on the new Boeing 777-300ER for selected flights between Singapore and London. The new seats are more like mini-lounges, and fold forward to form a dedicated sleeping pad. There is also a vanity corner for freshening up. There is a 23-inch LCD screen which is topped off with surround sound and noise-cancelling headphones. So, if you have money to burn, SA and BMW have are laying out the goodies for you.  Price of London-Singapore first class ticket: Rs 5.46 lakh ($9,100)

HORN FOR AN iPHONE It looks like ancient cowhorn used in Asterix comics for military announcements. But the Volta Sound Block is an ultra-modern, though retro-designed, sound amplifier for the iPhone 4 and 5. It is a passive amplifier that uses no electronics, no chargers, and no Bluetooth gadgetry. It is just a solid block of wood with natural acoustics to enhance the sound of your iPhone. Since each block is custom-crafted, no two amplifying horns are alike and may not match the sample seen in the pictures, except in quality and style. Price: Rs 11,400 ($190)

TIMELESS APPEAL Want to create the Humphrey Bogart or James Dean look of the 1950s? Go for a pair of Ray-Ban’s latest Clubmaster Aluminium sunglasses, a contemporary spin on the vintage classic style. Retaining its timeless look, the extremely lightweight sunglasses come in an array of matte colours including silver, gunmetal, black, brown and bronze. Though this model has been introduced and re-introduced over the decades this seems to be the best version so far. So go ahead, ditch the Wayfarers and go for the Clubmaster for that elegantperiod appeal.  Price: Rs 14,700 ($245)

TRAVEL MATE The thing about luggage is that usually we don’t think about it as a fashion statement. That is why it may be time to trash the old stuff and buy the hip Louis Vuitton Neo Kendall Damier, a bag that marries refined style with contemporary elegance. Ruggedly masculine, the duffel bag is elegant and chic and comes in three different colours – graphite, infini-meteor and infini-onyx. Versatile and contemporary, it is the right fit for cabin storage, a stylish companion for any expedition and a welcome addition to a man’s wardrobe.  Price: Rs 93,600 ($1,560)

SHINING KIT Remember the time when shoe shining was a part of the daily drill? That was a few decades ago before the advent of sporty shoes which have made polishing virtually extinct. Leading American leather accessories company Moore & Giles is putting the shine back on leather shoes with its newly launched Griffin Shoe Shine Travel Kit in an attractive pouch. Smartly stocked with black and brown tins of polish, two applicator brushes, one buffing brush and one premium quality polishing cloth, this kit is is meant for people who like to keep their overall look impeccable. Price: Rs 13,500 ($225)

GLITTERING CHAMPAGNE That Dom Pérignon is the crown jewel of champagnes is a given. But that you will get real jewels if you buy a bottle of this bubbly is not so well known. Recently Moët & Chandon, makers of the vintage champagne, collaborated with celebrated British jeweller Stephen Webster to design the Dark Jewel Collection inspired by Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2002. It comprises finger-length rings and drop earrings in 18-carat white gold and set with black-and-white diamonds, pave shaped into intertwined leaves and vines. The lucky people who buy the limited edition of the Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2002 will get one of the two jewels with it. A golden bargain if ever there was one. Price:Rs 44,550 per bottle (£495)

LOCKET WITH A HEART Here’s your chance to unlock your world with the iHeart Locket diary app. Just press the “unlock” button on the locket and watch the diary magically open. Inside you may decorate each day with photos of you and your best friends or add sparkle stickers. It is an iPad-based diary app which can be locked using an accompanying smart necklace pendant. Pressing the pen button makes pictures and notes disappear from prying eyes. Each pendant emits its own code, and one pendant cannot be used to open a diary created with another. Kids who are too young to write can just tell the app their story and it will record the audio and magically transcribe it as text. price: The App is free to download.  Necklace cost Rs 1,500 ($25)

MUSIC IN THE RAIN Monsoon can sometimes be bad news for gadgets like earphones that are exposed to the elements. Now you can listen to the music in the rainy weather without any problems, thanks to Sennheiser Electronics India which has launched five new earphone models designed in collaboration with sports equipment manufacturer Adidas. The new earphones combine the expertise of both partners and promise a powerful training experience. Their innovative water-protection system effectively shields the earphones against sweat and rain. One can even rinse the earphones under a tap to clean them and ready them for the next use. Price: From Rs 3,490 to Rs 5,490

A TABLET FOR ALL REASONS That the tablet is fast becoming the preferred digital gizmo of the upwardly mobile is no understatement. The world’s leading brands are readying themselves for the boom-time expected in the Indian tablet market. The new Kindle HD 8.9 by Amazon is a case in point that has just been launched in India. An outstanding tablet, it has a large 1920x1200 display that makes watching videos and photographs a real pleasure. Even TV shows and movies can be seen in up to 1080-pixel high definition. The experience is enhanced by dual stereo speakers and Dolby Audio. The tablet gives a choice of over 22 million apps, magazines, games, movies, TV shows and songs providing hours of fun for the user. Best of all, Amazon’s library of over a million digital books makes Kindle 8.9 one of the best tablets in the market today. Price in India: Rs21,999

FERRARI FOR A SCOOTER Time was when the helmet was just a protective headgear. But in the hands of auto giant Ferrari it is more than just a shield. It is also an object of desire. The Ferrari Scooter Helmet has both style and substance. It has a black varnished ABS outer cover with a carbon fibre middle section. The internal shock-resistant shell is made from expanded polystyrene and the padding is with anallergic breathable fabric. The chin strap has a quick-release fastener. Internal details and peak are lined in leather. Sure, you’d pay a lot less for the same features in other helmets but those won’t have the Ferrari Galloping Horse logo and name on the front and back. Price: Rs 47,100 ($785)

FOLDABLE KEYBOARD It’s a newage keyboard for newage gizmos. Designed by American start-up company Roysden Innovations, the myType Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard is made of silicone and can be easily folded in a briefcase, or a backpack or even a notebook carrying case. It is splash resistant and compatible with Apple products, Android tablets and features HID support for Window 8 Tablets.  It comes in five different colours — white, pink, blue, green, and black — and is perfect for travel, school or any work environment. The flat split design offers an ease in typing as you are no longer limited to touch-screens and thumb-boards. Price: Rs 3,000 ($50)

GRIPPING PICTURES Have you ever got that shaky feeling while taking pictures with your mobile phone? Most of us have and cursed ourselves for the hazy output. With smart phone cameras getting more and more sophisticated it is about time we took a grip of the situation. Now helping us do that is the Grip-&-Shoot device which serves as both support and a wireless remote for the smart phone and connects via Bluetooth. The ergonomically designed pistol grip features a trigger, two thumb buttons, and a removable stand. The grip syncs wirelessly with the phone and provides greater control when taking photos and shooting video. The device promises to make a pro out of every point-and-shoot amateur. Price: Rs 6,000 ($100)