Coimbatore has become the 28th city in India where Anokhi has an outlet. The well lit, bright, airy and well appointed garment/furnishing store in Race Course is the perfect backdrop to some of the best printing and dyeing techniques of the country that are centuries old.
So, florals, peacocks, elephants, paisleys –motifs so beloved to our land – abound. As it is summer the colour palette is light and refreshing with plenty of pastel with intermittent splashes of bright reds and indigos. It is difficult to imagine a humble handblock carved out of wood can create such wonders.
Anokhi stands for Indian arts and crafts, dyeing and printing techniques and a marriage between skill and tradition. The aim of Anokhi when it began was to revive Rajasthan’s traditional techniques of hand block-printing. And so began the creation of contemporary products using local craft.
Easwari who has come to Coimbatore from Anokhi’s Puducherry store explains the layout. A model on a big poster at the entrance announces the latest line of Anokhi. “And not just here, in any Anokhi outlet, the first display of garments will be from that line.”
The Anokhi store, where the irresistible new-clothes smell still lilngers, has kurtas, kaftans, shirts, dresses and churidars tastefully deoployed. Colourful stoles and dupattas are arranged here and there to facilitate easy mix and match. There are several silk kurtas that come along with slips that which is a boon. One doesn’t have to worry about getting separate slips tailored. And most of the readymades are thoughtfully in a range from extra small to double XL.
There are light Kota saris and summery offerings for children and men as well.
Anokhi’s bed linen including cushion covers, quilts and curtains are expensive but quite beautiful (a double bed cover with Kantha work on it is about Rs 7,000).
There are more affordable gifting options including beautiful stationery and bags in different sizes. Fine cotton handkerchiefs tastefully arranged in baskets look pretty and handblocks that are traditionally used to print seem an interesting gifting idea. You could team those up with one of the four different books on traditional printing and dyeing Anokhi has brought out.
The Anokhi store is located on 295, Race Course (diagonally opposite Café Coffee Day). To know more call: 7338833141. The store isopen on all days from 10a.m. to 7.30p.m.
