With every new collection, designer duo, Sounak Sen Barat and Anu Shyamsundar, of Bengaluru-based label House of Three seek to make a meaningful statement, whether cultural, political or environmental. For instance, their Spring/Summer 2020 collection, Kumarikandam (an ode to the submerged mythical island of the same name) was a reminder about what global warming can do to the planet; and Asliha, a menswear collection from 2018, was inspired by Mughal artillery — with which they aimed to artistically highlight the influence of the Mughal era on Indian heritage. Now, with their latest line, Dravida, they aim to shine a light on the art and crafts of South India.
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“When it comes to fashion, Delhi and Bombay get so much attention. South India is often ignored. So, we wanted to focus on the tradition and culture of the region,” says Sounak. To that end, the pieces in the collection bear motifs and patterns synonymous with the five states — Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala. While Tamil Nadu is represented by the use of prints of temples, performance artforms like bharatnatyam, and musical instruments, the essence of Karnataka is reflected in the prints of coffee beans, Nandi statues, the Coorg pichangati and the Kabini forest. Apart from this, motifs include coins from the Chola and Pallava dynasties, the wooden boats of Kerala and more.
The silhouettes include relaxed resort shirts, kurtas, colour-blocked shirts, bomber jackets, angrakhas, coat dresses, corsets, kaftans and a saree. Crafted from cotton linen, cotton poplin and Chanderi cotton silk, the collection boasts a largely black and white colour palette, with dashes of grey, soft pink, and beige. The collection is available across their pret, diffusion and couture lines. “Traditional North Indian functions like sangeeth and mehendi, have become important parts of South Indian weddings too. And we thought why not give South Indian brides a chance to celebrate their own traditions instead of having no choice but to wear lehengas and ghagras. That’s why developing a couture line like this was important to us,” says Sounak in conclusion.
Rs.4,490 upwards. At Indiranagar.