A decade after the launch of its clothing line Sustain, fashion brand Good Earth made its debut at Lakmé Fashion Week 2018 with its first-ever couture collection, The Miniaturist. Designed by Namrata Rathi, The Miniaturist epitomises slow fashion with a unique and timeless collection of 27 ensembles painstakingly hand-crafted by the weavers. The designs and detailing of the garments have been brought to life by native Jaipur artisans, who have created works of art reminiscent of the wedding wardrobes of the past century.
Each ensemble reflected a contemporary sensibility, too, with its subtle interplay of colour and diaphanous silhouettes. The intricate marriage of art and craft, the rich colour palette imitating jewel hues of amethyst and aquamarine and the use of the finest, luxurious fabrics of silk kota, gajji silk and mashru, underline the brand's homage to the traditional craft of gota shown at its original level of craftsmanship.
The classic silhouettes of Rajasthan, such as the jama, the ghagra-choli, and even the glamorous polo saris, were given a modern spin to provide trendsetting styles for the modern women. The revival of the patka (sash) and patua (tassels), hand cut motifs of chaand, anaar and baadal in 3-D textures, delicate artistry of floral thread work, geometric Jaal patterns, aari and danka work, all came together to complement and accentuate the splendour of this royal tapestry. Pushing the boundaries on gota and the workmanship, Good Earth also revealed a fresh spin on gota with a line of gota accessories, such as, the Bajubandh, Jhoomar, Borla, ear cuffs, Potlis, and other ornaments to enhance the festive spirit of the ensembles and present gota in a never-seen-before fashion.
Pavitra Rajaram, lead designer at Good Earth, converted the brand's flagship store at Raghuvanshi Mills into a museum, to take the audience through an immersive journey into the history of gota, detailing the nuances and process of the creation of The Miniaturist. The show was a resplendent exhibition of heirloom gota pieces, intricately embroidered motifs and patterns of the collection, vintage photographs of royal gota ensembles along with a documentation of the tools and methods used to create these pieces.
This engaging storytelling format built the perfect platform for the tableau style presentation of the garments, where models strutted to live songs by Suchismita Das.
"Like a master miniaturist, who creates a world of wonder through the finest strokes of his brush, our designer has created the most exquisite patterns in minute details that can be best appreciated from close range. A priceless tradition, fine gota work needs to be sustained through sensitive design intervention,” tgells Lal.
The Miniaturist collection will be available for bespoke orders only.