Couturier Sreya Samanta's label is is making everyday fashion a stylish affair
Sreya Samanta understands the fashion demands of new-age women quite well. The 25-year-old couturier, who started her own label in 2017, combines tapestries of hand-woven fabrics and time - honoured craftsmanship to create silhouettes that make everyday fashion an outstanding affair. “After finishing my studies in textile design in 2015, I wanted to groom myself under some designers, but that somehow did not happen. While on a hunt for apprenticeship under established designers, I would do my research on fabrics and visit villages in Bankura and Barasat, and meet the craftsmen there. I anyway wanted to do something on my own, so the idea of my label started much earlier than I expected. I started with a simple running stitch,” recalls Samanta, at her New Town store. While being naturally drawn towards the art of kantha, Samanta points out that her label offers saris, maxi dress and blouses for all women, regardless of size and age. For the relaunch of her new venture, March 8 was a natural choice for Samanta. “We were looking for an auspicious day and what better than the International Women’s Day to launch a label that celebrates womanhood,” she quips, adding that she hopes to make premium handloom readily available to more Indian customers, when it often tends to get exported.
Vintage edit
The bespoke blouse and crop-top fusion designs stand out for their modern, edgy cuts, and easily give a boost to impulse shopping. Sample bell sleeves, bushy frills, raw edges, asymmetrical cuts, wrap or jacket styles, and more, to be teamed with trousers or jeans or bell bottom pants, for a fun outing. We loved a pristine white blouse in soft muslin cotton adorned with frills in front, for a vintage feel. “People’s fashion sensibilities have changed and they want something different. A regular top or blouse is passé. I take inspiration from vintage styles and recreate them with a contemporary touch,” says Samanta, whose traditional blouse with a zip in front is one of her bestsellers.
Easy breezy
Her collection including maxis, wrap dresses, layer dresses and more, are suitable for afternoon outings. The use of soft, breathable fabric like muslin cotton and khadi in pastel shades of green, red and pink are perfect for summers. While some offer a hint of embroidery, others are mostly neutral. The confluence of kantha and cotton is best displayed in her saris that are named after Bengali girls. So you will find ‘Bella’, ‘Eva’, ‘Teesta’ and ‘Pipa’ in muted hues of lavender and ochre, with intricate kantha work on animal motifs. The elegant saris are available in single and dual tones. “I’ve added a broad tussar panel in a contrasting shade on a muslin base sari and it looks gorgeous,” explains Samanta.