Prior to showcasing their collection at a fashion week, most designers would reveal one look or two at the most. To view the other ensembles, one would have to wait till the models sashay down the ramp. Gaurang Shah took a departure from the routine and had a preview of his entire new line ‘Samyukta’ ahead of unveiling it at Lakme Fashion Week on August 27.
In this solo show, Gaurang will showcase 44 outfits, of which 14 are saris and the rest are lehengas, cholis, dupattas, palazzos, kurtas and more. Having established his label for its saris that are worthy of being heirloom pieces, Gaurang is targeting the younger clientele. “Young women tell me that they don’t wear saris regularly but want to own hand woven pieces as separates that they can mix and match,” he says.
So far, he has showcased ethnic weaves from seven different states for each of his collections and this time, he has attempted a fusion. Patola from Patan, bandhini from Kutch, weaves from Kanchi, Benaras and Paithani, matka silks, tussars and khadi have all come together for this line with a predominant colour scheme of red.
If he had combined organza and Kanjeevarams in his previous line, this time think unconventional combinations such as Kanchi and Paithani.
In the process of bringing together traditional weaves from different regions, Gaurang has also tried to recreate lost embroideries and motifs. For example, a there’s a lehenga with small parrot motifs on Paithani and a short top with a rare Kutch embroidery.
The Patan patola, too, offers more than the usual geometric patterns. Gaurang uses the motif of the elephant vahana in different sizes. “It takes a year to create this piece since the design is not repetitive. The tie and dye is time consuming,” he explains.
Some of the dupattas teamed up with the ensembles are actually six metre saris. The line also includes men’s collection.
The show at Lakme Fashion Week will open with kathak to sufi music and narrate the story of Prithviraj and Samyukta.
