Add some sari sparkle to your Diwali celebrations with Palam Silk's collection
We all know how gorgeous the sky can be. The various hues and saturation levels in the sky, the varying gradients of colour and the seamless blending of layers are all ingredients of a great sunrise or a sunset. Now imagine these colours on a sari. Pretty spectacular, isn't it? Palam Silks brings out an exquisite collection of saris that are fitting tributes to a woman's growing power of choice. From being a homemaker to a CEO or both, these saris are lined up perfectly to suit your choices. Jeyashree Ravi of Palam Silks talks to us about the collection for Diwali, the fabric and techniques and the versatility of the sari.
“We have a collection named the Vista which is a lot of stunning landscapes and scenes from nature, woven in zari or thread,” says Jeyashree. “The shades that we have used go from dawn to dusk so the colours make for a great gradient. Along the border, a landscape is woven like a bhutta. The best part about thread woven designs is that it looks more like a painting and less like a print.” Jeyashree talks about her Magna collection which is just the opposite of the Vista collection. With big, bold bhuttas, these silk saris make a beautifully loud and clear statement, with magnified motifs and vibrant colours. “We take one small element and spread it across the border,” says Jeyashree. “Generally these bhuttas are found only on the pallu. But here we are tried it on the border. Traditional bhuttas are bold and in zari. Contemporary motifs, however are done in thread and reminds you of an artwork thanks to the colour variations.”
Next comes the Corporate collection which is now into its 3rd edition. This first edition came out with wave patterns in jute silk. It was also a single colour since corporate wear sometimes demanded clothes to be less colourful. “Our next edition had geometric patterns in plain silk,” says Jeyashree. “The pallu and borders are of different colours. This concept was such a big hit with the customers that it is still moving. It's been over two years and we are still going strong.” The third edition has two to three colours without borders with mid-sized bhuttas that are woven with thread. The pallu has thread woven patterns as well.
The Spectra collection is a pure Kachivaram silk line that is dipped in brilliantly colourful dyes. Each saree is a masterpiece, with dozens of hours of painstaking, expert craft needed to achieve the dreamlike, shimmering colours.
“We did a tie and dyed concept with strips of different colours,” says Jeyashree. “We used about 8-10 colours on a single sari. The challenge here was that each sari took about 3-4 weeks to finish weaving. These mulch-coloured saris also had different coloured pallu and different coloured body.”
When it comes to the different kind of blouses used for their collection, you will notice several cut out blouses and loose elbow-length ones. “We tell our customers to always experiment with their blouses. Mix and matching is always encouraged. At a phase where we all put up our photos on social media, it is good to mix and match so that we don't repeat our clothes,” smiles Jeyashree.