Our last interaction with Sonali Manavalan saw us come away with vivid images of surreal natureinspired canvases that featured vibrant foliage and brooding big cats. We also got a sneak peek of delicate digital prints from her then newly minted enterprise, Manavalan & Co. Now a year later, as we catch up with the artist-designer to explore her upcoming collaboration with Samasta, we find her art transferred on to an exclusive capsule edit of saris called Pua Kai Collection. As we puzzle over that name, we are told that — Kai means ocean, and Pua means flower in Hawaiian — conjuring up the tropical vibe of Sonali’s paintings that have inspired this collection.
The Samasta X Manavalan collection has a range of saris with floral prints of lavender, frangipanis, monstera leaves, hibiscus, roses, anthuriums, hydrangeas, peonies and ferns. The collection also has some fauna such as dragonflies, macaws, leopards and Bengal tigers, delightfully familiar from Sonali’s archive of canvases. Mridulika Menon, proprietor and curator of Samasta, tells us that along with the saris that are hand-woven silk kota and silk linen, one can also expect kaftans, coordinated sets and asymmetrical gowns using the vibrant prints from the Pua Kai Collection. However, what truly grabs our imagination is that you can fix an appointment with Mridulika and order customised outfits such as maxi dresses and draped saris with the exclusive Pua Kai prints, perfect for resort wear and destination weddings — and in three weeks they promise the bespoke piece will find its way to your wardrobe.
“When it comes to saris it’s always a challenge to experiment, and Samasta as a brand comes with an established aesthetic and wanted to keep the essence of the brand. Nature is the go to inspiration, so I used mostly delicate floral motifs interspersed with dragonflies and ferns. Mridulika had also interest in some previous floral illustrations I had done and had wanted to incorporate them into a repeat pattern for this collection,” shares Sonali. Look out for cheerful spring-summer hues like lilac, peach and aquamarine. Sonali, a Stella Maris alumnus, who had studied textile as part of her post graduate course at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, further adds, “I’m collaborating with an upcoming luxury loungewear brand that should launch this year. I’ve worked on some prints for their collection. Apart from this, I’ve got a lot of orders for paintings and prints for people’s homes.”
The Pua Kai saris are showcased at the store in Alwarpet and online from June 10 onwards.
INR 7,900 onwards.
— Sabrina Rajan