Deepika Govind's signature collection of woven classics, Rajasthani and Kutch saris by Medhavini and Manish Saksena's saris in Kanchipuram style came together at a culture showcase. Arpita Singh reports
She is vibrant and full of energy. Her soothing and calming voice put others at ease instantly. Being a fashion designer, Deepika is striving to bring to life the value of natural fibre and hand-woven textile.
With her crafts, she is bridging the gap between two different communities- the modren and traditional, apart from weaving together the fabric of this which she calls ‘two civilisations’. Deepika’s journey to fashion world was not a cake walk. “I struggled for 17 long years to achieve my goal. I am a mother of two sons and it’s never grey for me, but either black or its white,” says Deepika. A post graduate in Economics, her dream was to be a civil servant. “It was only after I met a professor of fashion at New York Institute of Fashion, I realised that fashion is not as privileged as people make it to be,” says Deepika.
Renowned for her purist aesthetic, Deepika, feels proud that she has not sold her soul for commercial requisites.
Representing India modern, is like a recurring dream to her, which keeps reminding her about the mission. “I travel around the world interacting with all sorts of people and cultures,” says Deepika. She believes a successful career requires efforts, intention and entails heavy travel too. She has travelled to various parts of the country to explore the varsity of culture and tradition. Passionate about the Indian textiles and crafts, Deepika says, “I want to retrive traditional weaving methods exist in different parts of country.” And she has explored Gujarat, Orissa and Guwahati for the cause and also worked in these places. An expert in designing saris, Deepika’s designs mixes thread and thoughts of various traditions.
She twits, blends and processes the yarn to blend Indian heritage with the current time. She believes in preserving the originality and she doesn’t compromise with the purity of the crafts and textiles. “To see a bigger picture of success, you have to give up some part for life,” says Deepika. She adds: “My life is full of activities and adventures”.
Revival of old motif and blending it with modern twist makes Manish Saksena’s design unique and different from others. Manish, who showcased his collec tion at the Neel Sutra store launch says, “For me designing is like my first love. I had always seen my mother in some gorgeous saris, which over a period of time became an inspiration for me to be in this profession”. His collections are mainly inspired from Maheshwar, in Madhya Pradesh.
For designer Medhavini, Kutch and Rajasthan are the two most ecologically and ethnically diverse regions of the country. Her works are mainly inspired from these places. “There is no better place to appreciate the spirit of life”, she thinks.