The kodi code
Festivity, fun and food are integral aspects of Onam. Add to that fashion, too. For, no Onam is complete without Onakkodi, or new garments flaunted during the season.
Kochi August 23 dmanewsdesk: Festivity, fun and food are integral aspects of Onam. Add to that fashion, too. For, no Onam is complete without Onakkodi, or new garments flaunted during the season. -ADVERTISEMENT-Ads by
After a gap of two years, Kerala is gearing up to celebrate the harvest with a vengeance. The festive mood has set in and fashionistas are all set to unveil their Onam collections at outlets and online. TNIE explores what’s in store
Copper wave
Copper shades on vintage handlooms are set to trend this year, fashion watchers. A prime example is Thiruvananthapuram-based offline and online handloom boutique Weavers Village, which has focused on copper shades this season.
The chief designer of the venture, Shobha Viswanath, and her team have lined up handloom collections that offer a classy blend of copper, gold and silver threads. Themed Sun and Moon, Shobha has given a stylish makeover to traditional attires such as saris and mundu.
“Covid taught us to adapt to new things,” she says. “Also, life is about exploring new things, rather than holding on to the past. We applied the same philosophy to handloom fashion. I wanted to explore the copper with the traditional gold and silver kasavu.”
Weaved in Balaramapuram handloom fabric, Weavers’ Village saris come with handwoven applique designs of the Sun. Besides saris, the boutique offers salwar suits, skirts and jacket-kurtis, too, in a similar style.
Western twist
Some people prefer keeping things simply stylish. With such customers in mind, Kochi-based fashion designer Divya Susan Raju has explored the beauty of simplicity in her off-white ‘MONA’ collection. Her online boutique Susan Lawrence terms it “sustainable fashion”.
“The collections are western patterns themed on Onam. I have given the traditional fare a western twist, hence the name MONA,” says Susan.
“I believe a white dress is a must in everyone’s wardrobe. The tip is to pair it with jewellery of your choice, a traditional choker for Onam, or a raw-cut stone earring and neckpiece for a party.”
Simple & sweet
Kochi-based Revathy Unnikrishnan is another designer who has focused on sustainable fashion. Her label, Jugalbandhi, which has its outlets in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, has launched an Onam collection titled SMRITI.
Subtle shades in cotton with minimal kasavu zari are the highlights. “SMRITI is, in a way, a sartorial tribute to the woeful times we tided over, and warmly welcomes joy.”
Art to heart
Designer Niveditha Sanjay’s online collection Turmerik offers hand-printed Kerala saris that stand out from the usual. “I experimented with screen printing,” she says. “It looks similar to hand painting.”
For this Onam, Niveditha has conceptualised a sari collection inspired by the ‘Tree of Life’. “All the living beings depend on the tree. The theme is concentrated on elements such as flowers, branches and birds,” she adds.
The Onam collection, available via @Turmerikofficial on Instagram, includes floral prints and themes such as cherry blossom, hysteria, tropical and cardinals.
Elephants & coconut trees
Known for its saris across the globe, SuTa, for the first time, has launched an Onam collection.
Besides online sales (@suta_bombay), the collection is being displayed at exhibitions in the cities of Kerala.
Mumbai-based designers Sujatha Biswas and Tanya Biswas recently visited Kochi with a wide variety of saris and kurtis, and are now set for an exhibition in Thiruvananthapuram (August 27 and 28).
“Our Onam collection is named ‘Malli Poove’. These traditional saris are typically made of cotton and have gold, silver and copper zari embellishments,” say the duo.
“Symbols and motifs of Kerala, such as elephants and coconut trees, have been incorporated into the garments. Even the name of the collection is inspired by jasmine flowers, which are an integral part of the festive dressing.”
The man zone
Men, these days, are said to be more style-conscious. And designers have taken note of it. The Weaver’s Village, for instance, has introduced its “copper love” in menswear. Copper high and low kurtas, handwoven copper-zari shirts and kurtas are some new entrants, says Shobha.
“Men also love to experiment with Onam attires,” she says. “Like the tie-dye handloom saris, we have mundu or dhotis, too, having colourful karas (borders). We have used natural dyes extracted from flowers.”
Her top pick: a full-sleeve layered kurta with copper zari gatherings on the neck and horizontal pleats on the chest. “It would go well with copper-border dhoti,” she adds.
Another designer label based in Thiruvananthapuram, Southloom.com, has clubbed popular Indian fabric traditions with Onam attires for men. The collection includes hand-block print cotton shirts weaved in Jaipur.
“They are selling like hot cakes,” says Southloom.com owner Raj Baiju. “The hand-block cotton shirts are lightweight and are best for our tropical hot climate. It’s the new, cool Onam fashion statement. Among dhothis, chutti mundu, which comes with a colour and kasavu mix, is popular. The black and gold combo is opted for by 90 per cent of the male customers.”
‘Khadified’ Onam
Khadi outlets has come out with a new Onam collection. “We have got a special set of silk sarees, ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 15,000. A 30% discount can availed on part of the Onam sale,” said Latheesh Kumar, in charge of Khadi Grama Soubhagya, Kaloor. “For men, there is a huge collection of printed shirts and kurtas.” A limited-edition of silk handloom saris from Sreekrishnapuram in Palakkad is highlight. “The bronze thread work on these saris has become a hit,” says Latheesh, adding some items are available on Flipkart, too.
Source: The New Indian Express
