City-based designer, Vaishali Agarwal always had a fondness for handcrafted weaves and dressing up brides-to-be in her couture. That’s why, she says, she opened Kaalii by Vaishali, a sari studio, which seemed like a “natural extension of her design studio”. “We wanted to create a one-stop-shop for brides,” says the designer, whose label creates bespoke and couture for brides. Just as you enter her sprawling design studio, Vaishali Couture, on road number 68, Jubilee Hills, you chance upon the sari showroom that looks resplendent with a regal bed, mirrors and cupboards.
Weavers to store
The outlet houses handcrafted weaves from all over the nation. From Venkatagiri and Mangalagiri from Andhra Pradesh to Dhakai and Tant from Bengal, there’s something for everyone. Vaishali travels almost fifteen days a month, meets weavers, and curates the handwoven fabrics herself. If the brides-to-be are shopping for saris, they can spoil themselves silly, given the number of choices they have at this store. There are Banarasis in various shades of pink and red, Kanjeevaram pattu and Paithanis from Yeola in Nashik district for a Maharashtrian bride. Apart from trousseau picks, there are embroidered chikankari pieces from Lucknow and Bandar sarees from Jamnagar, Gujarat. “If my clients request any handspun weave from any corner of the country, I could get it for them,” says the self-taught designer.
Boho chic
Apart from the newly opened sari store, Kaalii, Vaishali also has two new Spring/ Summer collections of couture lined up at her design studio. The first one, called Pop Up comprises of contemporary silhouettes in a vibrant colour palette like teal, tomato pink and yellow. Expect to find kurtas paired with pants, lehengas with modern cuts and so on. Her other collection, Awadh, is inspired by the streets and rich heritage of Lucknow. The colour palette is ivory-based and summer perfect, with embroidery in gold and silver. The ensembles in this collection might appeal to those who prefer bohemian cuts.
Price: The range of Bengal cotton saris start at Rs 1,000.
Details: 23555633
