When the regular just won't do

You will find most of the things that are on display at The Showcase, set in a rather intimate venue, irresistible. Be it the Kanjeevarams, the silver jewellery or the handmade saris and stoles, every single item is handcrafted and by that measure, unique. Reason why the ladies who're walking in just to check the wares end up leaving with a purchase or two. “We have a clientele in Bangalore who come to our Chennai store to shop.

This city that way is a very good place to sell what we have to offer and an exhibition like The Showcase is an effective way to reach out to more people and cater to their needs,” opens Ahalya S, co-founder and creative head of the brands being shown at the exhibition, which by the way are Sarangi, Paduka, Rasvihar, BabyRasa and Sarasas.

If you were to look at it, the most obvious feature of the exhibition lies in its emphasis on ‘handcrafted’ creations. Explaining her motive for focussing on the same, Ahalya says, “By nature, handcrafting lends a product a certain unique character that mass production doesn’t allow for and there are a lot of people who value this.” 

The two sari labels that are being showcased at the exhibition are Sarangi and Paduka; while the former is all about gorgeous, rich Kanjeevarams, the latter has hand woven saris, stoles and blouse materials. Going by the number of customers shopping for the saris at the venue, you know that it continues to be a popular garment, just as it always has been.

So what if women don’t wear it everyday. “Women today look for contemporary saris that are smart, elegant and look flattering on them,” says Ahalya before elaborating more on how she contemporises something as traditional as a Kanjeevaram. “I like the fact that the Kanjeevaram is old. It lends a sense of history, and that is why I prefer maintaining its essential character. That said, we certainly make efforts to make it contemporary by incorporating modern elements in interesting ways, such as adding traditional motifs to the sari borders. We also innovate through the use of colours. So, while traditionally, Kanjeevarams have a palette of deep and dark tones, we do try and include more pastel shades.”

A popular store in Chennai, Sarangi also has brides going there to shop for that 'special' edding sari. Commenting on what the modern Indian bride desires, Ahalya says, “When it comes to weddings, Indian women continue to stay traditional and interestingly, the colour of the sari is what they are most particular about. So, if a bride is from Kerala, she'd prefer beige, its red if she is from the North, yellow if she is from Andhra etc.” The Showcase also has jewellery from Babyrasa that's meant for tots to teens.

Ahalya, who designs the pieces herself shares, “BabyRasa was created because a lot of kids’ jewellery that is available in the market use cartoons or indescript motifs. Through this label, we choose to interpret our design sensibility and scale it to be suitable for children; in essence, creating classic jewellery that is comfortable and beautiful to wear from a very young age.” Finally, to our question of a reason why everyone should check The Showcase out Ahalya says, “Because it has unique products that you won’t  find anywhere else.”

Check The Showcase at Oakroom, Park Hotel, MG Road, 10am-8pm