In February this year, Karuna Laungani and Gauri Verma of Jodi Life gave us A Seat At The Table, a collection celebrating women who speak out and make themselves heard. Last week, they launched Sanctuary, inspired by time spent at home during the pandemic. From the past few seasons, it’s clear that the designers find it necessary to respond to the times we are living in through their clothes. And we’re definitely not complaining... for the results are simply gorgeous. Just ask some of their fans, who include Sonam Kapoor, Malavika Mohanan and Anoushka Shankar, among a host of others. “Spending so much time at home really put things in perspective. We were supposed to launch the collection in June, but had to push it a little bit because we felt we needed to invest more time in perfecting our work. We focused more on skill and technique, even if that meant increasing the prices a little bit,” says Karuna.
Sanctuary, like their previous collections, is built around their distinct hand-block prints, which are designed and carved into traditional blocks by Karuna, Gauri and their team. The new drop comprises midi dresses, maxi dresses, circular skirts, bandeau tops, light jackets and overlays. The silhouettes are easy and flattering. “We wanted people to feel comfortable but also beautiful,” explains Karuna, adding that the fabrics used are a mix of Chanderi silk, muslin silk and cotton lurex.
The collection also sees the use of the clamp dyeing technique, which is a first for the brand. Some of the pieces that stand out are the Riley hand-embroidered dress with stripes and mirror work, the Marrakesh maxi dress which features an easy silhouette with large Morrocan-inspired prints, voluminous sleeves and hand-beaded wooden tassels, and the Bindi dress, an olive green and mustard yellow number with large fuchsia circles.
While working on Sanctuary, the label launched its ceramic collection, a few weeks ago. Their signature prints have been used on dinner plates, coffee mugs, pitchers, bowls, kettles and baking dishes. “When we launched Jodi, we always wanted to branch into ceramics and home decor. We wanted to see our prints on bowls and plates,” reveals Karuna. But ceramics is not the only addition to their repertoire. In a month, the duo will also be unveiling their jewellery collection and a line of nightwear.
Rs.4,590 upwards. Available online