What do two women, from textile-rich regions of India do when they get together in Bangalore? Start a boutique, of course. But it works to the advantage of handloom and textile lovers here that the best of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh come together with a little bit more from here and there peppered on it all for more variety.
Under The Tree is a boutique with lemony green-yellow interiors bang on Nandi Durga Road that houses the passions of Parul P. and Neelima Lal Hembram. It's a house where one room leads into another and you go through a maze of doors discovering rich colours and textures — be it shiny red beaded placemats, kantha-worked sunny bedspreads, crinkled cream organic cotton skirts, black onyx jewellery painted with gold, or a black terracotta lampshade netted with a cane lattice.
Neelima's own label Aakarr is a stunning range of Ikats in unusual colour palettes. She also does a whole range of silk dupttas in Ikats, Kalamkari, with embellishment sometimes. They have yardage on offer as well. Stoles, clutches, little handbags make up the rest of the collection.
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Walk into the next room and you're greeted by a lovely hand-worked yellow-pink dhurrie offsetting the green wall. In a room filled with an antique wooden trunk, sideboard, almirah, a chest of draws (also for sale, from Pondicherry) you will find beautiful half-and-half saris that combine unique elements like an Ikat leheria, or an Ajrakh print with a plain embroidered centre for pleats. These saris come with richly embellished blouses. There's a whole lot of Ajrakh-print bed sheets and spreads, block-printed door and window curtains (which you can also get made to order). A little alcove in the wall holds lampshades, mugs, place mats, trays, coasters in Jaipur's blue pottery as well as black pottery from north east India under The Ants label.
Jewellery starts with terracotta, brass and beads, silver and semi-precious to semi-precious stone with gold paint work — that's the range, but the collection is limited.
Auroville's vegetable-dyed organic cotton wear titled Paruthi consists tunics, skirts, shirts, boleros, dupattas and little purses. Andhra's Srishtie dazzles you with bright dressy kurtas in Mangalagiri and Chanderi. The Ants range of clothing from the north east is also a great choice. Men have a limited collection of silk or organic cotton kurtas and shirts to pick from.
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There's a range of knick-knacks consisting greeting cards, notepads, diaries and mousepads with prints of paintings made by differently-abled children from Jaipur. There's camel leather-bound diaries too with blue-pottery clasps. There are recycled juice-carton bags and mats too. Sangeeta Ghoshal's abstract art finds a surprising place on one of the walls in the boutique.
Kurtas start at Rs. 1,200, saris at Rs. 2,900, jewellery Rs. 225 onwards, and furnishings Rs. 450 onwards.
Under The Tree is at 27/34, Nandi Durga Road, opposite Neeladri Mahal Apartments. Call 41700132. Or email underthetree2012@gmail.com