Azurina’s latest prints reveal a little more than meets the eye

Look closely and Azurina’s latest prints reveal a little more than meets the eye. A lemon sits beside a chilli, a hamsa hides within a paisley and tiny four-leaf clovers find their way into the wings of cranes. Called Talisman, the new festive and bridal collection turns familiar symbols of luck, protection and prosperity from across the world into motifs for a wardrobe that feels made for journeys.

“Talisman is our festive collection and I started by thinking about gifting. But the festive season in India also overlaps with the wedding season. I started thinking about how, in our culture, a bride is surrounded by wishes, prayers and little rituals intended to bring her luck and protect her as she begins a new chapter. That became the starting point for Talisman,” begins Dipu Krishnamurthi, founder.

Symbols of luck and protection are such a beautiful part of cultures around the world — we wear them as everyday jewellery or hang them in our homes. “I have evil eyes, hamsas and other little talismans around my home and in the jewellery I wear. I was drawn to symbols that felt familiar to me, but that also came from different traditions and carried this universal idea of wishing someone well. I liked the idea of taking that familiar tradition and translating it into something unexpected, our sleepwear and loungewear,” she shares.

The collection, Dipu says, actually began with three imaginary brides: the Romantic Bride, the Traditional Bride and the Sophisticated Bride. “I imagined the Romantic Bride somewhere tropical, the Traditional Bride in a beautiful old haveli and the Sophisticated Bride in an urban setting. From there came three very different visual worlds — florals, paisleys and cranes — and eventually the idea of looking at talismans across different cultures as well,” she reveals.

Talisman takes that easy-going language into the festive season, bringing together prints inspired by small superstitions and traditions that people carry with them, wherever they go. “There are four talismanic symbols across the collection: lemons and chillies in Romance, the hamsa in Heritage, four-leaf clovers in Clover Cranes and evil eyes in Blue-Eyed Cranes. Heritage grew from the Traditional Bride, so we worked with paisley and a rich burgundy palette. Romance became softer and more botanical. For the Sophisticated Bride, I wanted something more graphic and cosmopolitan, which led us to the jewel-toned colours.

Traditionally linked to longevity, fidelity and prosperity, the blue cranes have tiny evil eyes in place of their own, while the green ones carry four-leaf clovers tucked into their wings. It is a playful way of layering meaning into the prints without taking away from their easy, lived-in appeal.

“It actually started as a bit of fun. I was thinking about the tradition of hiding the groom’s name in the bride’s mehendi and having him find it. I loved the idea that our prints could have their own little discoveries hidden inside them. There is no great seriousness to that part of it — I wanted the collection to have a sense of humour as well. You may not notice the talisman immediately and then suddenly you find it.”

Despite its festive and bridal inspiration, Talisman does not stray into conventional occasionwear. Relaxed pyjamas, kaftans and loungewear remain at its heart, keeping the collection rooted in the rituals of everyday life at home. The entire collection is made in 100 percent cotton-satin. “There are over 15 looks across the collection, including pyjama sets, tunic sets, kaftans, nightgowns and robes. There are multiple robes in this collection and that’s new for us. We’re extremely partial to cotton at Azurina, while the satin weave gives the fabric a beautiful, subtle lustre,” she concludes.

₹3,200 onwards. Available online.

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