A snapshot from Kiryu Keshiki | Photo credit: Anirudh Salu
A few years back, the Chendamangalam handloom weavers’ cooperatives in Kerala’s Ernakulam district were grappling with yarn and dye shortages and poor sales. This was after the weavers lost their livelihood in the 2018 floods. Over the years, designers such as Sreejith Jeevan and Shalini James have stepped in to revive the handloom village textiles and the famous clothing. Kasavu, Now Parul Gupta, 24, aims to do exactly that with Yūga, a brand launched in July 2022 that puts the spotlight on the H-47 Weavers’ Cooperative Society. After H-47, the brand’s first collection with 33 pieces that launched last September, Parul dropped her second range, Kiru Keshiki, last weekend.
Now designing gender-neutral shirts, trousers, dresses, skirts and shirt dresses, the fashion design graduate from the Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD) in New Delhi says she signed up with 11.11 designer Himanshu Shani after graduation. Worked together and achieved in this. In-depth knowledge about Indian workmanship. Parul says, “After that experience, I decided to work on my own and kickstart Era after a discussion with Gadha Gopal, a fellow design graduate from Kerala who had also researched the H-47 cluster in Chendamangalam. “
A snapshot from the H-47 | Photo credit: Ashish Dodamani
For H-47, we used drape-based fabrics from Kerala ( shavedset shaved, sarees) in a variety of finely tailored designer wear, explains Parul. “We worked with the weavers to keep the product contemporary while retaining its traditional value. We studied fabrics and understood their strengths and worked with a few key designs and ensured minimal interference with our designs,” says the designer on how the second collection is inspired by the vibrant landscape of Kerala.
With Kiryu Keshiki, which means ‘wearing the landscape’ in Japanese, we can see a more vibrant color palette. Consisting of relaxed-fit shirts, bottoms and shakets (a crossover between a shirt and a jacket), Parul says, “We compared the blue-green of water bodies with the pale-pink tones of the sky. We’ve created a play on woven stripes, and got colors from fields, and stunning sunsets. Elaborating on the shakets, she says, “We designed a basic shaket with noticeable pleated sleeves and unique pockets, and another modeled by a Japanese hanten (a short winter coat).” While the first drop featured Artisan Cluster’s trademark stripes and checks, Kiryu Keshiki has only two pieces with a traditional border, without the stripes and checks.
Parul Gupta | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Having spent a few months with the weavers in Chendamangalam to put together these collections, Parul says she aims to create something beyond “designer wear”, and “expand the possibilities of traditional garments by exploring the silhouettes of modern designs”. To do. She describes how she experimented with the age-old practices of Kasavu weaving, as well as colorful checks and stripes. “The H-47 collection is a modern take on textiles from Kerala. The color story of the collection – shades of blue, green, orange, yellow and red, balanced with white with vibrant borders – is inspired by scenes from Kerala painted by primary and secondary tones of urban and rural spaces within Chendamangalam. ,
Parul says she felt the need to engage closely with the artisans to understand their challenges and provide the best possible design intervention. “In India, the slow fashion industry is perceived as expensive by most of the public, and it is expensive because of the lack of clarity about the processes that go behind the product. Hand-crafted processes, involvement of natural materials, artisans Paying fair wages, and a safe working environment are the core values of the community of slow fashion,” she says, explaining why the brand includes storytelling to engage customers. “The story of the origin of the clothes, the people and By sharing the garment tag and wash care label on the back, we provide a complete shopping experience to the customer.”
A snapshot from the H-47 | Photo credit: Ashish Dodamani
Due to their unique location, says Parul, these clusters practice various self-sustaining methods of making yarn. “Weavers use natural materials like coconut oil and starch (made from flour and rice water) to shape the road. It helps the craftsman to take out the yarn easily in the loom, which further increases the lifespan and quality of the fabric. When thrown, they disintegrate easily and do not harm the soil,” she says.
Above this 2,200. @_yugaclothing on Instagram and Gallery OED, Market Rd, Mattancherry.