A Kancheevaram saree without the gold border? Grandmothers might cringe at the thought, and youngsters, who have grown up seeing the shiny thick line on drapes, might simply not believe it.
But Palam Silks has set the tone for a mini Kancheevaram pattu revolution by persuading their weavers to try going gold-free for their new ‘Silverline’ collection. Says Jeyasree Ravi, owner of Palam Silks, “Weavers are not comfortable giving up the gold zari, because for ages, they have been used to weaving it in pattu sarees. But we realised that a complete silver zari will look stunning for an evening wear or wedding reception.”
That’s just one part of the Diwali collection that was showcased by Jeyasree and her team in the city. The elaborate collection, brought out after years of research, interactions with youngsters and discussions with weavers, included sarees in unusual colour combinations such as light chocolate brown with pink and bright neon orange, and grey with lavender and purple. “This is not common in a Kancheevaram silk saree, but we wanted to go beyond the blue and pink shades,” says Jeyasree, daughter of Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti, owner of Nalli.
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But she knew that introducing different colour options is not enough; she had to make them lightweight and easy to wear. “Though there is rich patronage for Kancheevaram silks, I noticed that the current generation was slowly moving to translucent chiffon and other options because they found it hard to manage a heavy pattu saree; and with more youngsters staying alone these days, there is no one to help them when they want to drape one for a function,” she says with a sigh.
So, without disturbing the rich look of a pure pattu, they infused other fabrics like linen, cotton and silk, and blended them to create something that is “coarse and soft at the same time”— a light version of the rich pattu which beginners can handle all by themselves.
To get the translucent look of the chiffon, a portion of the saree is netted, and superimposed with meenakari work. The play with textures, Jeyasree believes, will take the drapes beyond auspicious settings to trendy parties, sophisticated receptions, or even college get-togethers.
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For those who are not yet convinced about the quirky Kancheevaram pattu, how about a pallu which is not a straight-cut line in the end but a smooth curve? asks Jeyasree.
Check out the collection in Palam Silks outlets at Anna Nagar, Luz Church Road and Pondy Bazaar. The sarees are also available online at www.palamsilk.com.