F OR THOSE WHO love draping saris and particularly handloom, Lavannya near CIT Road could be a good place to shop. Spread across 250 sq ft, the boutique has a display of handcrafted saris from weavers across India.
Egged on by the passion to do something of her own, Sumana Seal started her venture last year with less focus on jewellery and more on the sixyard. “I worked with a popular jewellery brand in the city after doing my course in jewellery designing but after a point, I wanted to start something of my own. I started with German silver and oxidised jewellery but I wanted more. And since I had a knack for saris as well, I spent over two years researching, meeting weavers in different parts of India and experimenting with different designs and patterns,” says the 37-year-old designer.
One can find weaves from Chattisgarh, Bengal, Benaras, Hyderabad and more in her collection. Bright and colourful ikat, tussars, Bhagalpuri silk and Benarasis adorn the racks. If you are thinking of adding kantha embellished drapes to your collection, this year than their off-white silk sari with traditional warli painting transformed in kantha is a tempting buy. Expect a blend of craft work — like a block printed tussar adorned with kantha work for the border. Sumana has also utilised Madhubani paintings in her saris and she says, “It’s a tedious job to paint the motifs on the sari with vegetable dyes and the weavers do an exceptional job. I love the natural earthy look of the artwork.” Also look out for their linen collection that has been treated with a tie-and-dye technique, besides Manipuri thread work on khadi cotton. Sumana hasn’t left her first love and one can find a modest section of trinkets that include finger rings, earrings, necklace, chokers and more in German silver. There is also a collection of bespoke earrings in matte gold with stones and pearls that have edgy designs. They also have a collection of clutch bags in metals, brocade and more. `1,500 upwards