Varuna Anand has taken on the mantle of promoting the age-old art of shawl-making, says Palak Sharma
Did you know that the inordinate craftsmanship of each Pashmina shawl has about 50,000 stitchesIJ “It’s a matter of art and technique and we owe it to the craftsmen on how they do it. Being a textile designer, I would not say that it’s my expertise, but it’s a bit of my contribution towards reviving this beautiful fabric that I have been providing to the craftsmen,” mentions Varuna Anand, founder, the Splendor of Kashmir.
She showcased her new collection called The Heirloom Collection which was recently exhibited at The Imperial Hotel in Delhi is endorsed by Sarah Abdullah Pilot. “While Splendor of Kashmir has never made a luxury product, Pashmina is considered as a royal luxury item since its inception. Mrs. Pilot who is acquainted with my work since 2011 agreed upon a mutual collaboration last year to endorse this collection from my range. Each piece is something to treasure because every piece takes very long and is a perfect heirloom to passover to the next generation,” says Varuna Anand.
The genensis of the brand owes to the fact that Anand along with her late husband Praveen Anand wanted to promote the art of shawl-making, an age-old heritage that takes you back to the times of Napoleon. And she chartered out her territory by spending her formative years learning and designing Home Textiles and Sarees for the likes of House of Fraser, John lewis, Galleries lafayette Printemps, laura Ashley, Tommy Hilfiger and Satya Paul.
While stoles and sarees are available as a part of the this collection, Anand is also open to taking up large custom orders. The collection has combined the traditional with the modern. Sharing about the craftsmanship and the patterns she says, “Our collection encircles around traditional classic patterns. However, we have experimented with a new range of colours in keeping with the latest trends. Usually the beige and black dominate the palette of pashmina but we have introduced other variety of colours that includes magenta, purple, rust, bright red and more,” she informs.
Maharana Arvind Singh Mewar from Udaipur is a patron of collection. The exhibition will travel to Gurugram, Mumbai and Chennai. The premium category starts from Rs 9000. Their Ethereal Collection consists of shawls and has hand-embroidered Jamavars called Sui Kaam Jamavars in both Sozni and woven Jamavars called Kani Shawls
The exhibition was also attended by Dr Farooq Abdullah (Former Union Minister, Govt of India), Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir along with Sachin Pilot, Rajasthan Congress Chief.