A few months ago, Archana Shah of Bandhej was speaking to Amethyst’s Kiran Rao over the phone. The two go back a long way, and Kiran had, years ago, offered Archana a space for her store in Chennai. But, that was when she wanted to keep Bandhej small and beautiful, and in Ahmedabad. During the conversation, Archana told Kiran she regretted not taking up the chance. “Arre, you can do it now,” she said.
And that is how Bandhej comes to town as a full-fledged store, within the precincts of Amethyst on Khader Nawaz Khan Road. The brand, which celebrates everything handmade, used to operate here years earlier out of Ffolio, in a store-in-store format. Chennai is the sixth store of the chain, which operates in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai.
For now, the Chennai store will feature the latest collections that go to every store. “Once we get to know the colour and size preferences, then the tweaking begins to suit the market we are in. Chennai is known to be fond of cotton, and our range features cotton, tussar, silk…” she says.
Archana is known for her work with artisans, especially in the Kutch belt. She loves revisiting the early days. “We are talking of the late 70s. It was not that easy travelling and there were little facilities. So, I went to villages where not many had gone, stayed with them and established a bond. They were great in their craft, but had never had any exposure to anything urban. I worked in Dhamadka and Mandvi, and there were times, when I did not know the language of communication. But, we knew the language of craft. I knew how to weave and print, thanks to the National Institute of Design. Once they knew I understood their technique, and was suggesting things that were possible within the scope of the craft, things got easy. It’s been a long, fulfilling journey.”
Archana speaks fondly of the visible development in Mandvi. “When I went there, there was hardly anyone doing bandhni. After our intervention, there are about 25,000 artisans in and around the area doing tie and dye.”
Convincing clients did not prove too difficult either. The market was flooded with inexpensive machine-made screen printing and digital printing options. “But, we put in little labels and frames in the store to show how bandhni is done and the intricacy involved. At the end of the day, our customers understand what we are doing. They are willing to pay for the work that goes into every creation.”
Bandhej as a brand is known for its quality. “Skill was something they inherently possessed, and once we showed them why quality and finish were important, they picked that up too. And, with time, it has only grown,” she says. The brand now works with skilled craftspersons in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kutch, Rajasthan and Benaras.
Archana has designed for films such as Bhavni Bhavai and Mirch Masala , besides dabbling in theatre, but she says there came a time when she had to choose between films and working with artisans. She opted for the latter.
Bandhej primarily works with cotton and silk. “I prefer using wild silk from Champa, Chhattisgarh. I like indigenous fibres… tussar, geecha…,” says Archana, who, ironically, shuns colour when she dresses up. “I see so much colour at work. So, I end up wearing simple clothes, a lot of blacks, with interesting scarves. I love the understated look,” she smiles.
Archana might have come a long way with her brand, but she still remembers when it all began. Sometime in the late 70s, she was walking in Mandvi, when she saw Hassan Bhai Nironawala in his workshop, creating a tie-and-dye fabric. “It was something in the traditional colours they used — black, white, red and yellow. I watched fascinated then. The knots continue to awe me.”
(Bandhej opens on January 21 at 4 p.m. at Amethyst, No.13, Buva House, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam. The brand features kurtas, tunics, kurtis, stoles, dupattas, shirts, flowing skirts, blouses and saris under the Red Dot label.)
