Loads of passion with a dash of gumption and enormous self-belief, and you will probably get something on the lines of ‘Aalaya', a one-stop destination for exclusive designer collection of handloom saris.
What is now a two-day exhibition-cum-sale of saris, inaugurated at The Gateway Hotel on Thursday, will transform into a boutique to be set up opposite ITI College hostel gate.
Gifted with a liberal sense of experimentation, city-based trio Y. Sailaja, Y. Geeta and P. Vijayalakshmi have embarked on a task to familiarise the local crowd with an assortment of designer handloom sari collection.
“All three of us love saris of different varieties. We frequently visit other states to pick exclusive saris of our choice.
It occurred to our minds that there might be many more like us who would want a collection of exclusive stuff and not everybody can go around places just to buy saris.
“That's when we thought of ‘Aalaya', the boutique we plan to set up,” said Sailaja, one of the three partners who made ‘Aalaya' a reality. “The idea flashed across our minds and the decision was almost instantaneous. Since we have a feel of the garment varieties and their exclusivity, we chose to go ahead with our plan,” chipped in Vijayalakshmi, sitting comfortably at the cash counter.
Cashing in on women's weakness for Indian handlooms, the trio carted in stuff like Chanderi from Madhya Pradesh, bandhani from Rajasthan, Ikats and Sambalpuri from Orissa, Daccai from West Bengal, brocades from Benaras and Mugai silk from Assam.
The steady stream of visitors that crowded the hall brought wide grins on their faces. “It feels good to see such response. It is more than what we had expected. It is also an indication that we have bigger challenges to meet in the days to come,” said an elated Sailaja.
The collection includes pure cotton saris for Rs. 600, the much-in-demand Chanderi saris, Kota saris, plain Kanchi saris without zari, netted saris from Benaras and Kanta work from Bengal.
Based on demand, the trio also has plans to include handicrafts and paintings in the days to come. They can be contacted on 9963220791, 9396969630 and 9866325782.
