Best Of Both Worlds: Designer Shruti Sancheti On Reinventing Maharashtrian Weaves With A Modern Twist

The opulence inspired by Maharashtra’s royal past fuses beautifully with its rustic roots to create the wonder that is Paithani. Known for its kaleidoscopic colours, it is possibly the most easily distinguishable of all the silk weaves in the country. It tells a tale of grandeur and beauty. However, this is just the beginning of the enthralling story of the Maharashtrian handloom. The face of Maharashtra’s state handloom board, Shruti Sancheti is giving her all to bring all these rich stories to the fore. Fashion design happens to be her choice of language and her aesthetics are surprisingly close to the entire idea of Maharashtrian handloom itself.

The designer best describes Maharashtrian weaves as an amalgamation of exquisite with ordinary. Her label offers timeless clothes with a global appeal. The soul, of course, remains Indian. In a recent interaction with POPxo, the designer talked about her unsurpassed love for Indian handicrafts and how she is infusing a new life to the Maharashtrian handloom with a touch of modernity. Excerpts Below:

The Magical Maharashtrian Weaves

Through her label, Shruti has been trying to resurrect various forgotten weaves of Maharashtra like Ruiphool, Narli, Totapuri, Khand, Narayan pai, etc. She has been merging them with the popular Paithani to create exquisite designs. Shruti shares that all these weaves have a rich tale and historical past which is too valuable to let go of.  “These are local weaves, exquisitely beautiful, and have so much local relevance,” she says. 

Shruti considers weavers as the backbone of the entire enterprise and works intensively with various clusters from all over the country. “Weavers provide us the base or the essence of our collections. We have worked with weavers from Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Pochampally, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, West Bengal, Karnataka & Benares, and yet have so much more to explore,” she adds.

The Best Of Both Worlds

Shruti’s design language is all about restrained opulence and understated luxury–an aesthetic that finds a great fit in India’s handloom industry. The love for traditional art and custom shows very easily in her clothes. The contemporary touch doesn’t go unnoticed either. It is by bringing the best of both worlds together that she has managed to come up with creations that have a universal appeal. Today her brand is synonymous with modern, avant-garde silhouettes that are rooted in Indian heritage and handloom. “India has had beautiful fabrics and crafts from time immemorial. All I have been trying to do is make it more contemporary and relevant by using better thread counts, relevant colour palette, and motif manipulation to the existing craft,” explains Shruti. 

As a designer, she believes that it is her duty to protect the weaving tradition. “Indian designers need not look towards the west as we have inherited a treasure trove of inspirations and motifs and designs that even if we tap each part of the country, we can never fall short of inspiration. I feel we are one of the few countries which has weaving tradition intact and it is our duty to protect it and be proud of it,” she adds. 

A Call To The Community 

As a patron, Shruti is worried about the future of Indian handloom and feels that the coronavirus pandemic has proved to be a huge blow. Thus, the designer urges the designing community as well as the customer to take charge and preserve the rich tradition and handloom. “We need to step forward and support this tradition. We can’t afford to lose the most glorious part of our history,” she concludes.

To celebrate the ethereal beauty and the undeniable allure of Indian handicrafts, we are observing a handloom week this August through a series, titled Seven Days of Handloom. The series aims to introduce you to designers and brands who are working to preserve and reinvent the Indian handlooms. Click here to read about Chanderi.

Featured Image: Instagram