Kapaas Kolkata is back in Chennai with their Festive Collection

Kolkata-based designers Bhanu Jhunjhunwala and Neelu Sethia do not believe in the concept of stores. And that is why six years ago, when they started their apparel brand, Kapaas Kolkata, the duo decided to set up an office space in Kolkata (Sarat Bose Road) where their clients could make visits by appointment to check out their work.

“We like to cater to those who are familiar with our work and come to us knowing what to expect. Our business module is mainly exhibitions. We do pan India pop-ups with all our collections,” says Bhanu, who did a short course in designing from JD Birla College. After their summer pop-up in April, that featured cotton wear in bright colours, Kapaas is now back in the city with an entirely different Festive Collection — offering a range of unstitched kurtas, blouses, and dupattas.

“Our designs are very basic. It’s actually very conservative and traditional and therefore something that never really goes out of fashion. We experiment with a particular design and make a maximum of four pieces with it. Every piece is one-of-a-kind in all our exhibitions,” says the 55-year-old, adding that they source their fabrics such as khadi from Andhra Pradesh, gamcha from West Bengal, tussar from Bihar and silk from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

In the pop-up, lasting four days, they are bringing 125 kurtas, 75 blouses, and 40 dupattas. While the blouses pieces in the collections are mostly multicoloured and hand embroidered, the kurtas come with textures such as pleats and pintucks and applique work. Find pieces in indigos, beiges and off-whites along with some reds and maroons.

“We try to bring a traditional feel to all our work. We use textiles and designs from all over the country and mix and match them. We do kalamkari blouses with kantha work on them and textured blouses with a dash of embroidery here and there. Our clothes also feature embellishments such as wooden buttons and cloth buttons — both made in-house,” shared Bhanu.

Kurtas from `3,500  onwards.
At Samasta. On July 24 and 25.  

— Fathima Ashraf
fathima@newindianexpress.com
@fathiimaashraf