Years ago, what began as a farm-to-table café and a shop housing mindful alternatives to mass-produced items harmful to the earth, Go Native, has now moved further up the path by introducing several homegrown labels that offer a range of handcrafted apparel woven from handloom. This season, Go Native launches two new collections — Ikkat Enchantment and The Summer Symphony by the brands Roz and Endé, respectively. The former features the timeless craft of ikat on modern and contemporary silhouettes for women while the latter boasts an array of beautiful saris crafted for the summer ahead. To learn more about the two, we speak to the designers of both collections.
Ikat reimagined
Beginning with the ikat collection that celebrates feminine energy and the weavers of Telangana, designer Kiran Pakhrin tells us, “The inspiration behind the ikat collection was Women’s Day and the idea of freedom. The collection has been designed to empower women and celebrate their strength and resilience. The handwoven fabrics sourced from Telangana have been carefully selected to ensure the collection is sustainable and ethical.”
With a focus on creating pieces that are both stylish and sustainable, the designer has combined traditional Indian textile techniques with modern design aesthetics to create a unique and contemporary collection that focuses on semi-formal clothing in a relaxed fit that is perfect for a variety of occasions. “The use of handwoven cotton, organic cotton and motif work make each piece sustainable and ethical. The fun tying details and unique prints give an added edge to the pieces, making them stand out in a crowd,” she shares.
Designed with a burst of bright colours and pastel hues, Ikkat Enchantment flaunts pieces like a Yellow Cotton Dress and a Wrap Dress, a Purple Kaftan Top and a Loose Shirt, a Blue Crop Shirt and Dress, a multi-coloured Tie-up Jacket, Narrow Trousers and a Two-way Dress and more. When asked about how long it took to bring the designs to life, Kiran reveals, “It took us around six months to roll out the collection as we sourced the handwoven fabric, which takes around three months because they are crafted in Pochampally, Telangana.
Draped like a dream
Renowned for artisanal and handloom saris, Anvitha Prashanth (the founder of Go Native) and Divya Balakrishnan’s (designer and stylist) brand Endé’s latest collection, The Summer Symphony, offers handloom weaves in soft, breathable drapes in cotton, linens and silk that are ideal for the upcoming months. “As with every sari we design, our artisans are our co-creators and co-designers, this collection too starts with swatches and inspirational images, which are shared with master artisans from the various clusters such as Maheshwari, Chanderi, Mangalgiri, Bengal and more,” Divya begins.
Detailed with floral motifs, the saris are lent a touch of charm and playfulness to the beauty of these handwoven fabrics. “We have also introduced an interesting sustainable weave called khesh, where the sari is woven using old recycled sari strips.” This is an age-old Indian practice that is adored by the brand and the designer.
Some notable pieces from the collection include Handwoven Blue & Gold Maheshwari Cotton Silk Sari (cadet blue cotton silk blend piece boasting a striking gold buti and a maroon pallu with complementing gold stripes), Handloom Cream Cotton Silk Tulip Chanderi Sari (This cream chanderi number features a gold tulip and gold border), Handwoven Red Bengal Jamdani Sari (soft and subtle Bengal sari in red embellished with delicate white jamdani motifs and a thin white border) and Handloom Blue Cotton Sequin Sari (This sari in sky blue hue has chumki embellishments on the pallu, tasselled ends and a stunning border etched in gold).
In addition to the ikat and sari collections, Go Native also has a vivid variety of other collections this summer, such as breezy casual wear, accessories and footwear fashioned from handmade fabric and traditional Indian craft techniques.
₹1,600 onwards. In stores.
