Weaving tales from Benaras and Odisha

An outfit from Vriksh

Founded five years ago by Mira Sagar and Gaurang Shah, Vaya, has been a gateway for hand-crafted heritage textiles, bridging the gap between weavers and the niche clientele who value hand-crafted traditions. In its endeavour to preserve textiles from the looms of India, the brand hosts a three-day collection of Banarasi weaves by Swati & Sunaina and Odisha textiles by Vriksh, starting today.

An outfit from Vriksh

Presented by the eponymous label of Swati & Sunaina, the limited edition collection of sari and dupattas is made from finest silks and woven on the indigenous pit looms of Benaras. Showcasing modern interpretations of antique textiles, the designer duo makes every sari in a single colour and each design comprises 12 colours, making it a truly bespoke heirloom textile. No pieces are repeated. The use of pure zari, sourced and certified to weave saris intricately with artistic mastery, is the hallmark of the label that believes in quality over quantity.

A sari from Swati & Sunaina's collection

Following the mantra of ‘Creativity through Conservation', Vriksh, an alternate design studio in Odisha, works solely with handloom weavers and natural materials, exploring the rich textile tradition of Odisha. The label introduces subtle contemporary aesthetics in traditional designs and interprets them in new ways. Keeping the cultural significance alive, the highly skilled weavers of Odisha weave beautiful patterns in vivid colours on handloom using the famed traditional Jala work and fine curvilinear ikats that Odisha is famous for. Vaya started as a store in Bandra and has now expanded its branch to Colaba. Sagar has been working with the weavers of Maheshwar for 20 years and heralds the return of handcrafted sarees.