A NIFT graduate in textile design, young designer Writuparna Kar’s label Wrii Studio is all about slow fashion. The ethnic wear label that offers a vast range of handwoven saris in unique designs was started by her in 2020 with a goal to bring contemporary designs to life using the traditional technique of Jamdani.
“The idea is to preserve Indian traditional craftsmanship and build a self-sufficient and sustainable brand that showcases the technique of intricate detailing and textures. Each of our saris tells a story and the collection as a whole is built around a theme. Her upcoming collection Bahar too represents the vibrant colours of spring.
A pure silk muslin collection, the summer edit is Writuparna’s first step towards introducing sustainability in luxury. Bahar focuses on natural elements like branches, leaf, vines, psychedelic mushrooms, and shimmery flowers. Always eager to play with delicate textures, she has tried delicate transparent look using fine muslin with decorative motifs. “To achieve the finest intricacy and geometry of the motif, we have chosen a mix of psychedelic colours and asymmetric placement to bring the designs to life. To capture the essence of nature, multiple colours have been used and every additional colour change brings another layer of complexity for the weaver. Hence each sari took half a month to weave,” she adds.
The budding designer feels saris have evolved from a garment worn as a daily wear to something that one wears on special occasions. And with this the draping styles have also changed to reflect the modern woman who pairs it with tops, sneakers and unique jewellery. As a young brand, reaching the desired customers is a big challenge. “But when a design I have imagined comes to life, that’s the biggest inspiration,” she tells us.
Currently, Writuparna is working on a Jamdani collection that will reflect the role of a woman in the society through values, morals and education. “It will be presented thru a story-based theme. And of course, this will be a puja edit with a twist,” signs off Writuparna.