Lightweight drapes drive the festive discourse in Hyderabad

Ikats with geometric motifs, kalamkari with stories from the epics, and Gadwal silks with kuttu borders. Here are some of the festive handloom picks for the season by Abhihaara, Anagha and Kalam Creations

Post-pandemic, while the retail sector noticed the tendency of ‘revenge shopping’ — splurging — immediately post lockdowns, the buying patterns have more or less shifted to a new normal, say entrepreneurs in Hyderabad. While sales have picked up and look promising, preferences lean towards lightweight, easy-to-drape and easy-to-maintain fabrics. Tussar, organza and soft silks are preferred for festive occasions or to attend weddings. Heirloom-worthy Kanchi and Banaras silks are preferred for the bride and the immediate family. 

The design and colour vocabulary has witnessed a shift. Sudha Rani of Abhihaara (@abhihaara on Instagram), who works with ikat weavers, says weavers were eager to weave multiple motifs on saris to cater to the retail demand for busy-looking saris. “Geometric motifs of rectangles, triangles, simple lines, florals, elephants and birds are commonly woven in the ikat method. Some weavers were game to add several layers and combine different motifs to make the saris look busy. But the saris end up looking cluttered. We had to reassure weavers that we can keep the patterns simple and uncluttered patterns but can experiment with colours.” 

Along with the time-tested deep reds, blues, blacks and whites of ikats, the festive collection has monochrome blue, black, grey, cinnamon brown and pastel shades.

The tendency towards lightweight garments and saris has also heightened post-pandemic, points out Mamata Reddy of KalamCreations (@KalamCreations on Instagram), who works extensively with kalamkari artisans. “Young women do not want garments with lining. Similarly, women in different age groups want lightweight saris.” 

The absence of retail/wholesale pressure to deliver orders during the two years of the pandemic, says Mamata, helped her and her artisans to develop new designs over video calls. The saris with borders depicting stories from the epics were developed during the period. 

Both entrepreneurs state that there has been a revival of the three-shuttle ‘kuttu’ border. Saris with multicolour checks and the kuttu border, reminiscent of the Chettinad style, have a number of takers, adds Mamata. Price-conscious buyers have been embracing silks from Gadwal that have similar design sensibilities as that of Kanchi silks, Sudha points out. 

Sarvamangala of Anagha (@anagha_designs on Instagram) has noticed more women buying lightweight tussars, organza and soft silks in lighter shades. Habituated to extended periods of work from home during the pandemic, preferences have veered towards lighter saris, she notes. “Being a handloom curator, I notice that women who love wearing saris do so even now, but less often. One of the main stress points is about the maintenance involved; for instance, not many want cotton saris that require starch and ironing.”