The mention of woven Benares saris might bring up memories of heirloom saris with traditional Indian motifs. While a sari from grandmother’s wardrobe will never go out of vogue, imagine a line of Benares saris 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 & Sunaina Gold (@swatiandsunaina on Instagram), is a coming together of French romanticism and Benares weaving techniques such as rang-kat , tanchoi, kadhua, jamdani and dampach .
The designers unveiled their new collection in Hyderabad with a curated show, presented by Gaurang Shah and Pratiksha Prashant at Gaurang’s Kitchen, Jubilee Hills. The saris, some of which took more than a year to weave, incorporate Chantilly lace and French-inspired motifs of violins, chariots, lions, sunrise and ribbons in a colour palette that varies from European pastels to deeper jewel tones. There is an interplay of weaves and textures, colours and patterns.
Imagine a rang-kat in a diagonal pattern or in mosaics resembling ripples of water in a mix of colours and textures. Some saris have been woven using a combination of silk yarns — eri, muga, mulberry, tussar and zari — and the weavers have done more than cutting of colours (rang-kat); they have also played with yarns and textures. A few saris come with two blouses, one with traditional Indian brocades and the other, incorporated with .
