ByAditi Roy

June 16, 2020 (IANSlife) The coming together of traditional art and modern design is truly magical, isn’t it? Sarees in Kantha bring the most beautiful embroidery on luscious Tussar fabric. Kantha is one of the oldest forms of traditional Indian embroidery. 

Mumbai-based slow-fashion brand, Suta Bombay, recently launched their collection Kantha Katha (The Tales of Kantha), a spectacle of the rich embroidery tradition of "Kantha" from Bengal.

The collection by sisters-turned-entrepreneurs Sujata Biswas and Taniya Biswas, offers a contemporary take on Kantha, inspired by the rustic visuals of a rural landscape. The mountains, the rivers, that one rugged road leading to a hut, all the elements that featured in your childhood drawing can now wrap you in gorgeous nostalgia in the form of a saree. 

The origins of this art go back to Bengali households where women stitched patches of fabrics together with different coloured threads from their sarees to create a kaleidoscope of beautiful patterns. It was an upcycling technique that was rooted in traditional value systems of sustainability.

The collection was conceived in Kolkata with a designer working closely with a few artisans for over a month. Once the designs were finalised, over 200 women artisans worked their magic on the sarees. It took 7-8 months for the entire collection to take full life and it is one of the brand’s highlights.

Sujata says, “It takes every artisan 2-3 weeks to create one saree. Some sarees have a touch of appliqué work as well. Every single piece is handmade brilliance at its best and the warmth really shines through. What is different with our collection is that we have re-imagined Kantha and created sarees that are as versatile as they are pieces of art.”

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Aditi Roy can be contacted at aditi.r@ians.in