Cotton blossms

The Earth becomes a breathing canvas of vibrant colours in the beautiful season of spring with flowers in full bloom . Birds awaken from their deep slumber, colourful butterflies flutter through the air and bees start pollinating under the gentle warmth of the golden sun. We start gearing up for summers ahead simultaneously, tweaking our wardrobe choices to beat the heat in the best way possible. Fashion brand Sage Saga’s new collection Valley of May addresses our feelings as we observe this seasonal transition unfold.

Sage Saga, the clothing brand, focuses on designing Indian casual wear, especially kurta sets, with a contemporary touch making it perfect for modern Indian women. They often use archaic Indian art forms and embroideries to create fabulous pieces high in style and rooted in tradition. Valley of May showcases a range of sophisticated kurta sets perfect for the ongoing season. Shivangi Gupta, founder and creative director of Sage Saga, tells us, “For this collection, we took inspiration from the vibrant Indian spring in full bloom when the flora and fauna spread colours and the women take out their classic cotton kurtas. Valley of May consists of cotton ensembles with springtime touches added to it.”

The gorgeous kurtas feature colourful macro floral prints against subtle background hues including white, mustard yellow and powder blue. What brought an extra edge to the ensembles is the usage of lace in the kurtas and uniquely styled embroidered palazzos or salwar. The addition of pretty Chanderi dupattas gives a slight formal twist to the sets making them more appealing and stylish. Such outfits are great choices for office wear as well. Touching upon the manufacturing process, Shivangi says, “For Valley of May, our immediate fabric selection was the classic Indian cotton. We felt it is the perfect medium for our prints to be put upon. Also, cotton is the best choice for the summer season.”

Discussing her inclination for ethnic wear, Shivangi tells us, “What always drew me to Indian wear was my mother. I’ve seen my mother in traditional saris and the array of kurtas she collected. Today, when I look around and see mothers in their trousers and dresses during parentteacher meetings at schools, I can’t help but remember my mother in her ethnic wear, as comfortable as ever, never out of place.”

Although the brand caters to the contemporary taste of women, the collections by Sage Saga often contain elements of Indian culture, tradition or folklore. Shivangi further says, “Kurtas have always been a part of the Indian wardrobe. However, with the influx of contemporary culture, many women drifted apart. Some women feel shy to wear the typical kurta sets. So, during such times, a little makeover and experimentation helps.” “We try to follow the international runway print and colour trends and translate them into slightly ethnic versions for our collections of Indian prêt wear. Whether it’s the women in Jaipur who fascinate us with their block-printed outfits or the ones residing in Gujarat who leave us stunned with impressive bandhani ensembles, the inspiration of course, comes from the women all around us,” adds Shivangi.

Rs 5,500 onwards.

Available online.

Mail ID: sakshisuresh.k@ newindianexpress.com

Twitter: @kaithwas_sakshi