An exhibit of 150 limited edition handcrafted Khadi sarees
@ Vikas Sharma | Sr Journalist
New Delhi: Celebrating the spirit of Khadi, Taneira, the youngest brand from Titan, today inaugurated ‘Parichay’ – an experiential walk-through of 150 hand-spun & hand-woven Khadi sarees at Crafts Museum, New Delhi. The prestigious event was commenced with the Inaugural by Mr. Bhaskar Bhat – Managing Director, Titan Company Limited, Mr. CK Venkataraman – CEO Jewellery and Ms. Rajeshwari Srinivasan – Chief Operating Officer, Taneira.
‘Parichay’ is a collection of 150 saree masterpieces, handspun and handcrafted to celebrate Khadi – a symbol of India’s Textile Heritage. The brand worked closely with the weavers and the artisans from all across the country to bring alive this “fabric of diversity”. The exhibition boosts of 35 different crafts from 28 regions of India showcasing the versatility of khadi as a fabric. Resonating with the spirit of Khadi, Taneira’s products are simple, natural & indigenous in every aspect.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Bhaskar Bhat, Managing Director, Titan Company Limited said, “As a company, we believe that sarees is a natural extension for Titan – we have created design-led lifestyle brands that enable self-expression – Titan, Tanishq, Fastrack, Xylys, Raga, Skinn (fragrances) and now Taneira. Similar to the jewellery market when we began, this 5000 year old category is a large, unorganized market and under-served in terms of authenticity of the product. Seeing the tremendous reception we have had with our stores and the response we received for collections designed by Taneira, we are confident that we will build relevance and enable transparency & authenticity for the customer.”
Speaking at the event, Mr. CK Venkataraman, CEO Jewellery said, “Taneira as a brand represents the rich heritage of Indian textile weaving and crafts – sarees, handmade with love from pure & natural fabrics, handpicked from the diverse weaving clusters of India; thus we are determined to deliver an expansive and exclusive collection.”
Ms. Rajeshwari Srinivasan, Chief Operating Officer, Taneira said, “Despite being the youngest brand from the house of Titan, Taneira in the recent years has created a special space for itself in the mind of saree loving patrons. We have been working very closely with many communities to not only help revive India’s endangered weaves but also to modernise them for modern consumers. ‘Parichay’ is our attempt to showcase the modern interpretation of a fabric that symbolizes the view of the past as well as the future. Through this effort, we look forward to engage today’s rooted yet progressive woman to embrace and express their individuality with pride and grace while cherishing our rich heritage of the craft.”
Each saree in this exhibition has been handcrafted keeping in mind that it carries the legacy of the cluster they represent while blending with the comfortable, breathable fabric that is khadi. From intricate Kanjeevarams to laborious Bengal Jamdanis, ethereal chikankaris to royal zardosi, playful madhubani to meticulously crafted double-sided ajrakh, this collection presents a new vocabulary of Khadi. Each of the 150 unique meticulously handcrafted saree narrate a story of its own, a concoction of a multitude of cultures, traditions, landscapes and history integrated into one entity.
The showcase was graced with the presence of eminent textile scholars and experts, industry stalwarts and saree enthusiasts in full attendance. The exhibition will be open for the public from September 25th – 28th, 2019.
