A tribute to Indian textiles

Lakme Fashion Week summer/resort, which kick-started in Mumbai on Friday, will be dedicating an entire day to Indian textiles on March 4. And, as a part of this tribute to Indian craftsmanship, city-based designer Gaurang Shah will be showcasing three sarees and seven outfits which include Kali Kurtas and gowns. “The theme of my collection is white and florals. The fabrics that I have used are flowy ones like cottons and kotas,” shares an excited Gaurang, who started his studio of handloom sarees in the city in 2001. “I started designing sarees in 2001. And the technique that is used is called jamdhani. In this technique, the embroidery itself in done on the loom,” explains the designer, who does not have any professional degree in design, but has always been around textiles since he belongs to the family who owns Indian Emporium. Venturing into the concept of jamdhani technique of weaving, Gaurang shares, “This kind of weaving takes a long time, and each saree takes around three to eight months to get completed. Also, what I try to do is mix textures, fabrics and colours in each saree to give out a unique look.” A decade down the line, Gaurang not only has his studio in the city, but also has a number of looms across the country. But, how do people in the city respond to these kind of weaves? “They love the sarees,” exclaims Gaurang. “They usually don’t place orders because making a saree takes a long time. But, I do have elite clientele, and various celebrities,” he signs off without wanting to reveal the names of those celebrities. Price range of the sarees starts at Rs 30,000 and goes up to Rs 2.5 lakh