Making for a curious entry, a wooden door standing without a wall leads you through a short lawn to the new Teori boutique in Kilpauk. Ask about its significance and Darshna Lal, owner of the month-old place says, “The temple door blends well with the earthy concept of the store, and we wanted the influence of the South to be evident.” Staying true to its name, Teori, which means ‘handwoven’ in Japanese, promotes hand weaves and hand-printed designs. With 95 per cent of the collection done in cotton and silk, they also use organic dyes for shades of maroons, greens and mustards, Darshna shares. With four craftsmen assisting her, Darshna is the sole designer and curator of the 1200 sq ft store boutique.
The latest collection at Teori, predominantly with kurtis, shawls and linen saris is based on the colour blue and inspired by the Chennai coast lines, we learn. Apart from the easy-breezy kurtis and flowing linen saris, the section of one piece Western wear at the store is quite catchy.
Ask for her favourite among that and she picks a British style coat dress and says she imagines Kate Middleton, one of her design inspirations, donning it whenever she sees it. “Our silhouettes are minimalistic and easy to wear. While using breathable fabrics for comfort and easy maintenance, we emphasise on the detailing of the apparel with good cut and fit,” she says. Finding inspiration from Anita Dongre and Urvashi Kaur, Darshna’s favourite international designers are Alice Temperley and Stella McCartney.
Having pursued her passion initially by designing socks for her husband’s manufacturing unit, the 35-year-old self-taught designer says for her, blue is the new black. Admitting her love for using traditional floral motifs, which is evident in her collection, Darshna prefers not to use pearls, embellishments or anything shiny in her pieces. “Starting from the mood board to choosing the colours, fabrics and the designs, we take a lot of time and effort in bringing up each piece,” she said, adding that she might introduce embroidery in her line soon. Apart from a section of home decor and handicrafts on the first floor, you also find brass utensils and terracotta show pieces sourced from art galleries, on display at the store. With an online shopping portal for her apparel line in progress, the store will launch its latest cotton khadi collection next week.
`1,800 onwards. At Harley’s RoadDetails: 9566132323