Homegrown label Tilfi unveils Vanam Leela, a collection that reinterprets a centuries-old artistic tradition rooted in the sacred landscape of Vrindavan. It employs the precise hand-cut stencil art of Sanjhi, an intricate paper-cutting practice that emerged in Mathura and Vrindavan between the 15th and 16th centuries. This results in a rare, structural dialogue with the weightless Jamdani textiles. Aditi Chand, co-founder of the label, takes us through the rich drapes.
Tell us about your new collection, Vanam Leela. What is the inspiration behind its language?
Vanam Leela collection represents a profound convergence between the intricate paper-cutting tradition of Sanjhi art and handwoven Banarasi Jamdani at its finest. Here, the landscape of Vrindavan steps forward as the primary protagonist. We focused on intimate, terrestrial observation — the flowering trees, foliage, fruit-laden branches, and even the architectural blueprint that shapes the region’s legend. We used the finest cotton base to allow the textiles to drape gracefully. The colours and silhouettes are an homage to the flora of cultural memory.
Could you tell us about the paper-cutting range of saris?
True Banarasi Jamdanis are masterworks due to the intensity of effort, rarity of skill, and high cost of production involved. It is a technique that rejects shortcuts, which makes the execution of this scale incredibly demanding. What defines these pieces is the conceptual friction we’ve introduced: capturing the sharp, clean edge of paper-cutting through a slow, additive, thread-by-thread process. The true visual power of these saris rests precisely in that contradiction.
What trends are you seeing in ethnic and fusion fashion this summer, particularly when it comes to saris?
There is a clear, welcome shift toward what I would call ‘structural luxury’ and narrative depth. Wearers are increasingly fatigued by superficial ornamentation. There is a growing desire for textiles that offer genuine intellectual and visual substance.
What are your must-have wardrobe essentials for the summer wedding and occasion season?
A Jamdani masterwork. It delivers an undeniable sense of regal presence and occasion-appropriate scale, yet remains entirely weightless, allowing for movement and extreme comfort.
What continues to inspire you as a designer and storyteller?
The realisation that ancestral techniques possess an almost infinite elasticity. There is a profound beauty in the concept of living continuity. In seeing a technical vocabulary passed down through centuries adapt flawlessly to articulate sharp, modern global contexts. The craft is never obsolete, and its capacity to hold contemporary meaning is entirely limitless.
Tell us about your upcoming collections.
We have a few very distinct trajectories unfolding. Most immediately, we are reinterpreting the craft of the bridal trousseau through a dialogue between hand-beaten brass and our fluid silks. Following that, for the winter season, we are engineering an exceptionally complex, celebratory collection that pushes our structural techniques even further.