Summer of duality: Sanjay Garg’s 2/2 collection

Sanjay Garg’s latest collection, 2/2, explores stark colours, print on print and a fresh take on chintz

Black may not seem the most summer friendly colour, but that’s until Sanjay Garg takes it in hand. The Delhi-based designer recently launched 2/2 (pronounced two by two), a collection that explores the duality of black and white. “They are not just the opposite sides of the colour spectrum. Just like you can never understand happiness unless you feel sadness, black and white’s how you can see and understand duality,” says Garg, 38.

In cotton satin and silk, the saris and garments — high-waisted skirts alert — are enlivened with a “new vocabulary” of cheent (chintz). “We’ve used playful multitudes of bold bouquets featuring modified roses, peonies and marigolds to highlight this evergreen colour pairing,” he says, adding that “brief moments of rani pink and red” complement the line.

Twin take

Known for his work with Banarasi brocade,

chanderi and mashru , and turning the spotlight on traditional weaving techniques, his use of print on print here comes as a surprise. But, as Garg puts it, it’s just one of the ways he constantly challenges himself. “We are always exploring; that is the only way forward. I love strong colour pairings, and experimenting with print is something new that strikes me as light and playful.” The designer worked with silk screen printing in his 2018 collection, Midnight. But here, he says, “I wanted to see maximalism, and bring in a twist with the print, the twins.”

The twins he is talking about are the women (not models) in his photoshoot. Unlike earlier campaigns, where every picture told a story, here, he has kept things stark. “I worked with twins deliberately [because “the similarity or differences in their identity symbolise the binary of nature”], and we shot everything either with flash or in strong light, so there are no shadows. I enjoy that architectural hardness; it focusses just on the subjects. There is nothing else to talk about,” he says.

Beyond weaves

As a brand, Raw Mango’s identity is built on questions. Be it what design can solve, why sustainability can be a limiting word or how luxury can be found in simplicity. Now, Garg is thinking about what next. He’s talked about wanting the brand to embody “a lived experience”, to bring into its gambit food or furniture.

“For the longest time, textiles have been our medium of expression; beginning with saris, then garments. Then, through our retail experiences and brand events, interiors and architecture became important. For our 10th anniversary, we released a range of limited-edition objects, and we’ve just finished our first store in Delhi’s Lodhi Colony, which was fully designed in-house,” he says, adding that the time is ripe to “touch point with different mediums”. “There is something new coming up. I can’t say much, but it will be exciting,” he concludes.

As we wait, you can check out Raw Mango’s festive pieces at Collage, Chennai, and Avenue Centre, Kochi, from August 2. 2/2, with prices between ₹7,000 and ₹24,000, is available at the Raw Mango stores in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. Details: rawmango.in