If you like the spotted bulls and lotus–headed goddess that characterise Jharkhand's indigenous art form done on murals - Sohrai - you might now want to have them adorning your sari borders, for fashion is all about wearing your expression. This is what Rakesh Ranjan, a student of Textile Design at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) who designed such saris, and his classmates believe in.
In a show called ‘Tantu 2011' organised to mark their graduation, the students of the Institute presented a variety of innovative designs on different types on fabric, on Monday.
From flowing curtains in shades of snow, that depict moods in warmer urban places yearning for calm, to glittering sequins studded on cushions stacked in a way resembling sun-baked fields with hay ready to be harvested, the collection represented what the Institute's director S. Devadoss called “a culmination of four-years' efforts.”
Addressing the graduation day, R. Rajagopal, Principal Secretary, Handlooms and Handicrafts Department, urged the students to use their imagination wisely and go beyond books, paintings and images. “Fashion cannot be quantified. It is what you make of it, how you exhibit and project it,” he added.
Presenting a collection of stoles made of varieties of coarse silk (tussar) was Archana Kulshreshta who said “The fabric is climate friendly. It keeps you warm in winters and cooler in summers.” Further away, Mukul Kamboj displayed his collection of cushions highlighting modes of manipulating text.
“My theme is ambigrams. I have used basic words that often set us thinking like love, hate and wild scripted in calligraphy which read the same when rotated.”
Other interesting presentations included a collection of craft designs made of rice paper by Gaurav Agarwal and lush-green bed linen with patches of white and pink with over sized lotuses on them by Darshini Sundar. “I have used flowers that have excessive importance in Indian mythology.” she said.
Course Coordinator (Textile Design Department) M. Vasantha participated in the event.
