Making motifs the real hero and expressing her love for saris, Tanira Sethi presented her second Banarasi collection, Birds of a Feather. By M Bhansali
Despite having Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) chief, Sunil Sethi as her father, Tanira Sethi is slowly setting her foot in the fashion industry by working with the sari rather than doing a ramp show. With an aim to re-interpret the woven heritage, she unveiled her second collection Birds of a Feather – Origami and Banarasi. Briefing on the fabric being used, she said, “The saris are woven in silk. Some are hand woven with zari, which is metallic in gold, silver and copper.”
The young designer has played with the traditional Indian motifs of tota and mynah but metamorphosised them into subtle origami forms. Taking her inspiration from the Japanese art of paper folding, she has attempted to explore the vast depths of patterns.
Sethi did her under graduation from NIFT, Delhi in textile design and to complete her masters she went for Chelsea College of Arts in london, which made her decide to work in the field of unstitched clothes. “I’ve done a range of Banarasi sari fabricated with the traditional motifs of tota and mynah to mark a difference from the conventional style. Though these motifs have been prevalent in the Banarasi saris for the longest time, I’ve distinguished them by including geometrical motifs like origami,” she said.
Claiming to be the world’s first designer to bring out a Cashmere lace sari in her first ever collection, Sethi maintained a continuity in her recent collection by including geometrical patterns apart from the tota and mynah motifs. “Unlike the Cashmere collection whose base fabric was cashmere, Birds of a Feather has silk as the base. Also, prior the motifs were completely geometric ranging from stripes, polka dots, French cashmere lace to zig-zag patterns,” said Sethi, comparing both collections.
The price of the collection is segregated into three categories. The saris with dense motifs and covered with patterns are for Rs 48000. The sarees with light motifs are for Rs 36000 and Rs 26000 for those where the motifs are just on the borders.
Changing the trend of drapes by giving it a modern contemporary touch, Sethi kept her collection open to all without any age restriction. She said, “Anyone can wear my collection, who is interested in wearing a sari. From a younger one who wants dark and quirky colours to an older one who wants light and subdued colours.” Amidst the current trend of online shopping, Sethi believes it’s very important to touch and feel the sari fabric, which is the reason why she has decided to keep her collection limited to her store.
Along with the conventional Banarasi sari colours like orange and rose red, she also included grey, black, navy blue, maroon and so on. The saris had either contrast colour borders or of a tonality similar to that of the sari. For Sethi, the aim was to bring the modernity and freshness to the drapes. She said, “The will to produce something traditional but quirky led me to the weavers of Banaras. I took the craft of Banarsi saris but wove it by using varied geometric motifs.”
Breaking the stereotype of nepotism, Sethi explained the role of her father in her career. She said, “He is very supportive. Although, it is inspiring to have a family member in the same industry as you are. But for this particular collection, I did it all by myself.” Being an amateur, she is not expecting any time soon to showcase her work in the couture week.