He tell us as we begin, "I never have to look beyond Jaipur and Rajasthan for inspiration. There's so much about our history that remains untapped. I hope that with one collection after another, I can show people how contemporary our culture can truly be." Punit Balana, a fashion designer who constantly draws inspiration from the rich heritage and culture of Rajasthan for his clothes roots his aesthetic in various folk art forms and his new clothing line, Utsav, brings to the fore a part of Rajasthan that is less talked about. Evoking celebration and joy in bright hues of blood red, pink and pickle green, the collection featuring apparel ornate with an array of embroideries, offers textures inspired by the Kalbelia community, the snake charming tribe of Thar Desert. Kalbelias, also known as Sapera and Jogira, are followers of Sage Kanifnath. According to the legend, they drank a bowl of poison and were blessed with control over venomous snakes. The community members are well-known for their Kalbelia dance, which they perform as a form of celebration wearing costumes that visually resemble the serpents. We speak to fashion powerhouse Punit, who showcased the collection at the recently-concluded Lakmé Fashion Week X FDCI, to learn more about what the edit has to offer, his artistic muse and more.
How does it feel to represent the folklore, culture and fashion of the state you hail from? What made you choose this very concept of celebrations?
Absolutely wonderful! I am so inspired by Rajasthani culture and the only way to give back to it is to honour it. Although my designs have a little contemporary touch to them, they will always be rooted in culture. I wanted a collection that would celebrate Rajasthan and the beautiful culture it has to offer, hence I chose this concept. From the colours to the construction of interesting silhouettes to the embroidery everything about this collection is very celebratory.
How did you conceptualise this collection that is a celebration in itself?
Around three months ago, when I started working on creating a new line, I thought of dedicat ing a collection to my wearers to celebrate themselves. Yes, you could wear this collection to an occasion, but I wanted them to feel like rejoicing when they were in my outfit at any given point. Utsav for me is about celebrating yourself.
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How did the Rajasthani Kalbelia community end up becoming the artistic muse for your block prints?
Happiness, song and dance. are a huge part of the Kalbelia community and they make sure that their culture and folklore are passedthrough generations. They take immense pride in it. I want the Punit Balana woman and man to also feel that very spirit when they wear outfits from Utsav.
Tell us a bit about the process behind the collection. What are some of the fabrics, techniques, colours and motifs you used?
Utsav evokes luminosity and an idea of celebration and joy through its timeless designs. Brought to life through bright hues of surkh laal and gulabi gulaal and a bold shade of kacha aam, this collection is a symphony of embroideries in marodi, resham, gota, mirror and coin. With block prints inspired by Rajasthani history, particularly that of the Kalbelia community and bandhani, Utsav represents masterful craftsmanship in terms of sil houettes, ranging from classic Punit Balana outfits to new, contemporary ones reimagined lehengas and peplum sets, heavily embel- lished kurtas for men and many more to suit the effortless sartorial sensibilities of the modern sartorially. inclined woman and man.
Price on request. Available online.