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Wondrous weaves
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Maa Fabric Galleria provides unlimited options as far as textiles and prints go
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INNOVATIONS GALORE You can design your own patterns and prints here Photo: Murali Kumar K.
Wandering about in Maa Fabric Galleria is a sure-shot way of being infected with the Aladdin effect. The bales of fabric in varied hues, warps and wefts are mind-boggling. The genial proprietor, Birendra Kumar Bajoria, sweeps one along in the tidal wave of his passion for the wonderful world of weaves.
Birendra's first store, in Safina Plaza, has had a loyal clientele forever including the movers and shakers of the designing world. Wendell Rodricks, who has made various style statements in white, is a regular shopper at Maa Fabrics.
"For the Fashion Week, Wendell took fabrics from here," Birendra says. His new store, Maa Fabric Galleria, on Dickenson Road has fabrics, ready-mades, a block printing and tailoring unit. As you enter the store, you can see the journey of your designer outfit from cocoon through loom and weave to printing and stitching.
Mainstay
"I mainly work in tussar. We do have other silks like moonga and cottons as well. I source the tussar from Jharkhand. In south India, mulberry silk is popular. Tussar comes from the silkworms that feed on tussar trees. You find the cocoons in a bunch on twigs. The cut cocoon signifies the worm has metamorphosed into a moth and flown away," comments Birendra. That would be ahimsa silk where the worms are not suffocated alive (very ouch!) to the get the fancy silks. "Ahimsa silk is always thicker and coarser compared to regular silks."
Very much the one-stop store, you could step into Maa and feast your eyes on the fantastic fabrics. With a little help from Birendra, you could pick up your material, choose from over 1,000 block prints and get it printed. The dupattas and stoles in the finest gossamer silks are to die for.
Constantly innovating, Birendra's latest is a lovely off-white tussar with kalamkari prints on the border and the pallu. With each sari and salwar kameez made to order, there is no duplication and no chance of every party bird's nightmare of turning up in similar outfits.
The is no dearth of innovations: like the pin-tuck sari for instance or the tussar in blindingly beautiful rainbow hues. The pin-tuck sari, as its name suggests, has pin-tucks along the fabric and with some exquisite printing is all set to rock the party.
There are some ready-mades — including some kurtas — and the traditional Assamese mekhal chadar. "I studied in Shillong and have always been taken up with the simplicity of this garment," Birendra explains. There would be demonstrations every Friday on the fully functional handloom in the galleria to spread awareness of how fabric is made.
The children's play area is for the express purpose of keeping the young 'uns occupied while mamas and papas are busy. There is a special thrill in designing your own clothes. Seeing the simple yet stunning burgundy organza sari turn drop-dead gorgeous with gold print is something else. And if you feel you are not particularly creative, Birendra is only too willing to help.
Maa Fabric Galleria is on 36/1 Dickenson Road and can be reached on 41320384.
MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER
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