A green long shirt dress with bright marigold prints catches my eye at the Lime Soda Pop-Up show at Kanakavalli. It is soft and flowy with tiny pleats. Banmeet Singh, a designer working with the brand, Label Nitika from Bhuwaneshwar says, “It goes well with a pair of jeans, giving you a very Indo-western look”. The store sells dresses, kurta, and saris in crepe, all of them with the marigold as a central theme.
He explains, “Orissa has a very rich tradition and we wanted to bring something more than Pattachitra into our designs. Marigold is considered auspicious. Used in weddings and as an offering to God, it connects with our culture. We get marigold from the fields, colour it and digitally print it to be added on the fabric.” Their collection comes in bright greens, reds, oranges and yellows, just perfect for the festive season. The saris sell like hot cakes, says Singh. “I now only have two left in the collection. People simply love it”. Their collection ranges from ₹ 2000- ₹11000.
Ramya Jothish Kumar owner of the store, Grandma’s Love asks me to try their body butter. It is creamy, smells like fresh kiwi, and is absorbed fast leaving the skin supple and soft. “The smell is from the kiwi extract added,” says Kumar. She sells night creams, body butters, bath scrubs, and Nalangu Maavu using Indian herbs as ingredients. “I procure most of the ingredients from my fields near Chennai. I make sure there are no chemicals or preservatives.”
The Nalangu Maavu for kids, is made with Nalungu flower, Avaram poo, Sanku Poo, saffron, etc. It is sun-dried and then hand-pounded as Kumar feels machine pounding can take away some of the nutrients. “So I hand-pound it to preserve all it’s goodness, It has even got anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties”, she claims. The stall also offers customised gift hampers, and the price ranges from ₹200 to ₹1000.
I see a peach cotton off shoulder top with sequin embroidery in the shape of eyes, from a distance. The store of designer Oshin Anil, includes semi-formal shirts and trousers in cotton in pastel shades. This is the first show of the 22-year-old designer. “I like clothes with quirky designs. Mushrooms, eyes, bugs, etc. make it into my design”. Her collection ranges from Rs 2500-Rs 3060.
Kanya Rajesh, from Chennai, shows me a big earring with uncut American diamonds. Her stall, Mahatriya has a collection of silver, brass, and copper jewellery. “Isn’t it beautiful? This is one of my favourite”, she says. Her collection includes both hand-crafted and machine-crafted jewellery, ranging from ₹300- ₹10000. Simran’s Collection brings in designer hair-clips in crystals, sequence and kundan work, and ranges from ₹350- ₹1000.
The show has a total of 17 stalls from all over India. Soundariya Anil, the curator of the show says,“ My aim is to provide the right ambience and an enjoyable experience to the customers through pop ups.”
The Lime Soda Pop-up show is on till September 28, 11.00 am to 8.00 pm at Kanakavalli, Race Course.