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In black and white
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Hand-printed designer wear by Varnachithra is not just distinctive. It's value for money too.
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Summers are synonymous with cottons. The days may be long, sweaty and hot, but a reason to rejoice is the caress of cotton against the skin. With ethnic being the toast of the season, women can revel in the six-yard sari, or the salwars and churidars, which have invaded the fashion scene all over the country.
Varnachithra at Sasthamangalam is the place to be if one has a weakness for hand-printed designer wear. It claims to be the only outlet in the city where hand-printed ready-mades and dress material can be picked up, with the quality tag attached.
Varnachithra is a small-scale industrial unit run under the Women's Industrial Programme. Managed by a grandmother, mother and daughter trio, the outlet opened four years ago. But unlike units where the designs are screen-printed or dresses mass-produced for reasons of economy, every piece that comes out of Varnachithra bears the unmistakable stamp of individuality. The women design the saris and unstitched co-ordinates and each piece is unique. A big mercy for those who hate to see every second person wearing similar ensemble.
Varnachithra is holding a sale of hand-printed designer saris and dress-material on May 21 at Women's Club in Kaudiar. The theme this time is black-and-white. One of the most engaging combinations, the two colours can weave magic and under the watchful eyes of the three women, they make a fashion statement. The sale aims to fully exploit the hitherto unexplored effect of these two colours. An entire range of saris is devoted to women whose vocation is law.
Apart from black-and-white saris, salwars and churidars, the entire collection of Varnachithra's saris in various colours will be on display. Saris in earthy colours are predominant in the collection. The saris measure five and a half metres, come with blouse pieces and are in the range of Rs 400. The salwars and churidars come for Rs 500. The co-ordinates (dress material) measure five meters and the dupattas more than two and a half metres. Bed sheets and matching pillow covers and table linen will also be available at the sale. At Varnachithra, each piece is crafted with care and precision. The cloth is first dyed in vat and naphthol colours, which are fast and do not bleed. The designs are then block-printed on the cloth using pigment colours. The printing table measures six and a half metres and is bedded with cloth and sponge to prevent breakage of blocks. The blocks are made of teakwood, specially ordered from Pedana in Andhra Pradesh. The cottons are normally sun-dried, but come rains and a heat chamber has to be used to dry them. Apart from cottons, silks and semi-organdies are also hand-printed at Varnachithra. After printing, the silk is rolled and dipped in a huge vessel for steaming, after which it is polished. The Varnachithra collection may be purchased online at the site keralarcade.com and the search engine google also takes one to it.
So, for a `different' look this summer, sashay down the road in a Varnachithra ensemble and make heads turn.
R. K. ROSHNI
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