Kolkata label Chitras comes up with a Puja edit inspired by painter Sunayani Devi
Kolkata label Chitras, started in 2019 by the mother-daughter duo Poulami Pramanik and Chaitali Pramanik, has come a long way. Starting off with kaftans, blouses, and tops from woven gamchha and khadi material, Chitras’ USP is playing with cuts in breathable outfits. “We curated saris from different places and later concentrated on handwoven cotton jamdanis, dhonekhalis, and begumpuris only. Now, we are also upcycling saris and making dresses and shirts, which don’t have any size constraint. Apart from these, from co-ords for office wear to jumpsuits for your brunch, we have them all in quirky block prints to embroidered motifs,” says Poulami. The label has come out with its festive edit Sunayani and it unveils the same with an exclusive shoot for Indulge. Excerpts from a chat with Poulami.
Chitras’ Sunayani line pays homage to art, handlooms and Bengal craft
Tell us about your new collection.
Sunayani is a series of handloom jamdanis that pays homage to Sunayani Devi, a self‑taught painter born into the Tagore family. As the sister of Abanindranath and Gaganendranath Tagore, her first lessons in painting began while toying with colours. Though she never received a formal training in art, her work was deeply influenced by elements of both folk traditions and Indian cultural authenticity. She then went on to become one of the pioneers of Bengal School of Art. Our collection honours her life and artistic legacy that stands as a significant marker in the evolution of modern Indian art. Drawing inspiration from her renowned painting Avishar, we have attempted to recreate the emotional distance and yearning it conveys, with a sense of dreamlike restraint. Meanwhile, Dui Sakhee reflects the quiet bond between companions, who on a closer observation, is revealed to be Krishna, disguised as Sakhee in a conversation with Radha, portraying a devotional or personal context, exemplifying her signature simplicity and subtle emotional resonance.
How different is it from your previous collections?
Being a lifestyle brand and catering the simplest looks to our patrons, we never dared to weave something so different like this, where a period is being considered and the looks are being taken care of accordingly. So, it’s our first time to consider this entire shoot in this pattern.
What’s trending in occasion wear this season?
Anti-fit dresses, jamdani saris, and unisex shirts.
What are the Puja wardrobe must-haves?
Versatile blouses that can be teamed with multiple saris, a quintessential red jamdani sari and some unisex oversized comfy shirts for pandal hopping.
How do you include craftsmanship and sustainability in your collections?
We curate saris and fabrics from the weavers directly, work with the designs with them and try our level best not to discard any defective fabrics. The bits and pieces which remain with us are mostly converted into notebooks, bags, or potlis. We have a separate section known as Bahari where the upcycled pieces are being stitched together to make dresses, jackets, saris, and lot more. We have designed quite a number of dresses with our bestselling saris and regularly upcycle old saris given by our patrons to make something wearable for regular use.
What are the new things you are doing?
We have started working on kantha, quilts, and home decor items now and are also trying to expand the Bahari section. We have women working with us in the rural areas and we are trying our best to generate more employment. Also, since Kolkata winters are the ideal for cotton long jackets, we will be making them as well.
How do you plan to grow your brand further?
We believe in one step at a time. Right now, we are trying to participate in exhibitions across the country in different cities and spread the word.
What inspires your designs?
Hand-embroidered shirts have been our bestseller this year and the main inspiration was Memories. We brought back cassette, tram, yellow taxi, and all things that remind us of childhood or workspace but slowly fading away from us, into our design elements. When it comes to silhouettes, the main inspiration is definitely working women whom I see around, the kind of outfits they wear, easy, breezy, comfortable and super easy to carry.
What are the upcoming collections you are working on?
We are working on block prints and trying to set up our own team. We are also experimenting with different kind of breathable cotton fabrics and soon will launch our staple dress series of spring summer.