Winter is hardly cold here; I think of a rich celebratory colour palette and easy, breezy textiles, more of pinks and bright oranges, chutney green, blacks and maroons, red and ox-blood burgundy for winter weddings and festivities. It is all about flowy gossamer and rich silk drapes with minimal tasteful embroidery and subtle weaves, decorative blouses, flamboyant chunris and gheradaar ghagras.

A purist at heart, I am exploring weaves, tanchois and satins, quintessentially high-count mulberries, finer patua zaris and high-count unstarched cottons. There will be pieces inspired by the oil paintings of 18th-century travellers.

The collection is about ‘Aur Ek Baar’ (One More Time), something which holds a lot of nostalgia and bygone memories of my grandmother and great-grandmothers, passed on through heirloom pieces.

During my travels, explorations and museum documentation, I discovered textiles that defined our rich identities. The collection is about those bold, powerful ladies, their whole persona and how that was reflected through their attire.

I don’t believe in different looks or styles. I am an ardent believer in consistency. My design exploration does not take away from the craft’s authenticity and its association with artisans. I explore new ways to showcase traditional nuances with a modern twist. I aim at rebuilding fashion sensibilities with a contemporary take and communicate it to modern buyers to make it more relevant.

There are woven and embroidered cholis with interesting cuts and patterns, deeper necklines and backs. a blend of weaves with embroidery, multicoloured brocade panels; in fact, cholis made with brocade inspired by corset patterns.

I designed classic tanchois and kadiyals and explored colours and techniques in chanderi, too. Another interesting product which I’m very keen to introduce is men’s safas. This is going to be my very first men’s trousseau piece where I see a lot of ignorance and lack of significance amongst the modern-day wedding shoppers (probably because an urban man doesn’t wear a safa/turban apart from the big day or celebratory occasions); I somehow feel I really miss watching men wearing those beautiful woven, rich, larger-than-life safas which were a part of their stature once upon a time.

The groom’s clothing was simple and classic, but safas were always elaborate, even multicoloured and embellished with jewels. I hate how modern pre-stitched safas are trending. I would rather call it a cap, not a safa. Safas need to be draped, and they are not limited to tacky digital-printed ones. For me, safas are richly woven and brocaded and that’s what I’m bringing back this winter.

I would say the trend should be all about comfort and personal resonance. One should know what to wear for occasions, especially how to style it right. Just because we have choices, one shouldn’t end up looking like a Christmas tree. That is not my take. I prefer tasteful maximalism. One should know where to stop accessorising. One piece of advice I would like to give all brides is: Wear a small piece of jewellery or odhni, or carry a small potli which is an heirloom. It could be your mom’s or grandmother’s, but trust me, these little things enhance and lift the whole look.

I would say the trend should be all about comfort and personal resonance. One should know what to wear for occasions, especially how to style it right. Just because we have choices, one shouldn’t end up looking like a Christmas tree. That is not my take. I prefer tasteful maximalism. One should know where to stop accessorising.

One piece of advice I would like to give all brides is: Wear a small piece of jewellery or odhni, or carry a small potli which is an heirloom. It could be your mom’s or grandmother’s, but trust me, these little things enhance and lift the whole look.

I have tried to introduce a modern element to the heritage weaves while reimagining and reviving them. Clothing is not merely a tool to decorate yourself but is an extension of your personality. Your entire look reflects your tastefulness and intellect. I have thus tried to create a parallel between South and North.

I felt a tasteful khichdi (mix) is key to innovation; no one gives us the right to exploit traditions; rather, we can contribute and explore within the tradition. I innovated the final counts of Bengal gossamer at a chanderi loom with Venkatagiri Konia designs and a Deccan border. Then there is a Benarasi tanchoi weave with motifs inspired by the Pallava architecture of Kanchi, Kadiyal Ganga-Jamuna borders mimicking the Kanchivaram korvai colour palette, and so on.

Indian fashion is evolving and setting new milestones on global fashion scenes forever. Our textiles are the best the world has produced, and the modern fashion vocabulary is already making a mark on global platforms. It has a long way to go.

A silk tanchoi in wine or burgundy paired with a heavy choli or koti. Embroidered shawls are my favourite too.

Break all the colour stereotypes and wear blacks, maroons and ink blues. What inspires you? My roots, cultural legacy of my motherland and the i mperfections of the human hand associated with its crafts. Every piece feels like a woven dream.

Benarasi and fine cotton weaves, both from the eastern belt and South India, are my personal favourites. I enjoy wearing a lot of ivories and blacks; they are my constant favourites.

A rich benarasi brocade, a gadwal, kanchi- varam, fine vegetable-dyed ikat, dhakai and pundru khadi

Gen Z are very open-minded when it comes to wearing clothes. But sensitising them to our traditional crafts is a responsibility of the parents.

I don’t want to limit myself to being just a sari revivalist. I would love to work with silhouettes and menswear too and of course jewellery and accessories.

As a Bengali, I primarily connect with Kali Puja since childhood. Though firecrackers have been synonymous with Kali Puja and Diwali since childhood, I keep away from them because I am scared of loud sounds and have never enjoyed bursting crackers. But since I was a child, we used to light diyas and candles at home, which I continue to do. I also cook niramish bhog mutton, a specially cooked meat offered to Maa Kali as prasad. These two rituals remain constant in my life.

It has to be cotton. Diwali or Kali Puja fashion has to be fire-safe; hence, cotton is my only choice and preferably a salwar kameez, since a sari pallu can catch fire. I prefer the colours of Goddess Shakti: bright red or black or a combination of bo

Festive fashion has to be an authentic Bengali look, preferably a khadi or cotton sari, keeping the sultry and humid weather in mind. If the weather were fine, I would wear raw silk or silk, but that’s not practical in the humid month of October. I love wearing traditional gold jewellery and minimalism is key to any look that I choose. Natural beauty and grace shouldn’t be overpowered by loud accessories