The colourful halos of the bandhini are different in Sunita Shanker's work. They don't crimp in large circles nor are they spread across the fabric. In floral motifs, they not just lend a new touch to the design but also keep the tradition alive.
Coats, saris, salwars, tops, dresses, stoles and bags with cutwork and bandhini are predominant features in Sunita's collection. “Slash-and-stitch,” she smiles, “craft can be inspiring, and since I've been in the field long enough, a lot of my work is adapted from it. I've been working out of Kutch for the last 12 years, and also have weavers in Bengal who do these prints and textures. It's taken me 12 years to get this kind of bandhini pattern.”
Her autumn collection has Western and Indian wear, and the colours that dominate both are contrasting. The Western look is sombre and cool with more blacks, red and darker colours while the Indian range has bright red, yellow and orange. “The Western is the co-ordinated range, with the tops and pin-tucked trousers. Some of them can also pass off as lounge wear. The Indian section has traditional attire — saris and salwars. While my collection doesn't essentially have a name, the theme is to look at new angles of Indian wear. It is Indo-Western,” she says.
Clothes with identity
The stoles, scarves and bags too hold similar patterns, with fine work on silk with a lycra band to stretch the fabric comfortably. “It took me a while to understand where I was heading, and I wanted to come up with clothes that have their own identity. These pieces are something that people can wear even in 10 years. These clothes have a porcelain, delicate look. They're not trendy pieces that fade away with time,” says Sunita.
Sunita's collection focusses on prints and textures. The boomerang-shaped cutwork on the fabrics and bags and fine bandhini sprinkled over the rest of the collection only add a different dimension to her designs. “It's fun to work with these patterns,” she says. “When you pick an element and add continuity to it, you begin to explore something quite new. It's just about taking a fabric and doing something exciting to it.”
Cotton fabrics have also been re-used by dabbling with embroidery to create new designs. “It's also about recycling materials,” says Sunita. “I work on certain elements that could give them new life, allow them to be used again. For this, you need to find a cluster of people with similar skills, where you can get across your idea. Since I was a consultant with the Ministry of Textiles, finding them hasn't been difficult. But to make clothes that are visually appealing and cost-effective has been a challenge. This range has price points to meet everyone's requirement.”
Sunita Shanker's collection is on display at Amethyst on Whites Road, Royapettah, till November 26.
