Each sari is a work of art that takes a weaver at least three days to create, says Shruthi Prajosh, founder of Kalamkaari boutique at Panampilly Nagar. “And many of these weaves are slowly fading away into oblivion, as the weavers are moving to other jobs.”
The boutique, which opened in the city five years ago, hosts a collection of the ancient hand-painted textile craft from which Shruthi took the name. Its small, but eclectic, collection of saris showcases the craftsmanship of the weavers of India, apart from a selection of handmade footwear and wallets.
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Shruthi sticks to hand-woven saris and fabric, as she believes they deserve to be celebrated. “There is beauty in each piece. This is also my way of promoting a handloom culture in Kochi and creating awareness about the different varieties of handloom saris in India.”
From block-printed Ajrakh to Sanganeri, Ikkat, Dhakai and Korvai Kanchipuram saris, each piece carries a hand-written note with information about the weaver. “There are saris from a couple of National Award-winning weavers. The note gives the buyer a peek into the sari’s origin, where it is sourced from, and a bit about the weaver. It helps the buyer value it and appreciate the effort that has gone into its making it,” she says.
Though traditional, the collection features some innovative kinds as well. Like the saris that combine two different techniques: Ajrakh and Shibori, Ikkat and Kalamkari, Lambani embroidery on Kerala kasav, or Orissa tribal motifs on Ikkat. Karnataka’s traditional Patteda Anchu saris are available too. These saris have natural colours and the pallu has two different colours and is reversible..
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Shruthi launched her label 19 years ago in Dubai, when interest in saris was slowly reviving.
With a background in advertising and branding, Shruthi decided to launch her own label as she loved handloom and Kalamkari in particular. “It did not feel like business; it still does not. It is an extension of what I love. I have always loved handloom. It is skin-friendly and has a style of its own.”
It is also an act of preservation, she feels. “Nowadays, there is an increased interest in traditional weaves and many sari enthusiasts are collecting saris from weavers of different regions. The cost of these range from ₹100 and go up to a lakh depending on their complexity.”
Apart from saris, the boutique has an impressive collection of blouses and ready made dresses in light Murshidabad cotton. “A lot of women have changed their approach to saris because of the sheer variety available in blouses.” Shruthi also plans to conduct sari draping workshops and invite artisans and craftsmen to showcase their skills and show women how a sari is actually made.