Designers Sunaina (in green), Swati (centre, off white) with models wearing saris from their ‘Varanasi to Versailles’ collection | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement/Vineet Kapashi
The mention of woven Banaras sarees can bring back memories of heritage sarees with traditional Indian motifs. While a saree from grandma’s wardrobe will never go out of fashion, imagine a line of Banaras sarees that combine Indian brocade techniques and French design influences. Varanasi to Versailles, a new collection by textile designers Swati Agarwal and Sunaina Jalan for their signature label Swati and Sunaina Gold (@swatiandsunaina on Instagram), is a coming together of French romanticism and Banaras weaving techniques like color-cutting, Tanchoi, Kadhua, Jamdani And DampachThe designers unveiled their new collection with a curated show presented by Gaurang Shah and Pratiksha Prashanth at Gaurang Kitchen, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.
Some of the saris, which take more than a year to weave, feature Chantilly lace and French-inspired motifs such as violins, chariots, lions, sunrises and ribbons, available in colours ranging from European pastels to deep jewel tones. Weave and texture, colour and pattern are intertwined. Imagine a color-cutting in diagonal patterns or in mosaics resembling waves of water in a mix of colours and textures. Some saris are woven using a combination of silk threads – eri, muga, mulberry, tussar and zari – and the weavers have done more than just cut colours (colour-cut); they have also played with threads and textures. Some saris come with two blouses, one with traditional Indian brocade and the other, with French lace.
This collection brings together French-inspired design elements in woven Banaras sarees | Photo Courtesy: Special Arrangement/Vineet Kapashi
This collection has been a four-year journey for Swati and Sunaina. Their experimentation will not surprise those who have followed their journey. Some of their earlier collections had influences of Persian miniature painting and oriental design.
The designer says the cornerstone of her label is the use of pure zari. “The zari used in our work is 98.5% pure silver and electroplated in 24-carat gold. Many in the industry use 40-50% silver, which is then treated with copper and dipped in gold. Using pure silver zari ensures flexibility for subtle designs,” explains Swati. The saris are also lightweight due to the use of fine zari on threads ranging from silk to muslin and tissue, adds Sunaina.
Elements of French romanticism like ribbons, bows and floral patterns on Banaras weaves by Swati and Sunaina | Photo credit: Special arrangement/Vineet Kapash
The idea for Varanasi to Versailles came in early 2020. Swati and Sunaina were in Paris a few days before the first lockdown, browsing museums with their close associates. The more they explored, the more they were inspired to experiment. When further research was completed during the pandemic, the collection took shape. “Very few people would know that France had a zari (which they refer to as metallic thread) weaving unit and the Maharaja of Mysore was the first to bring such a unit to India. A weaver from Banaras recreated it from memory,” says Swati.
The designers came back to France to buy laces and worked on using them for embellishment and weaving on saris. “In France, there is a tradition of using gold and silver together and colours like grey and blue together; we tried to bring some experimentation into our collection,” says Swati.
The Versailles collection from Varanasi includes lehengas, some ready-to-wear blouses, dupattas and woven silk belts. “We are not creating new product lines but trying to provide accessories to our buyers to complete the look,” says Swati.
