“It’s silk, and it’s shimmering”
Nikhila Mylapilli of Hyderabad is happy to have had a sari for her wedding that also extends for a cause
When stars endorse a product it’s not just their stature in society that carries a value along, but one expects the knowledgeable rationale behind their choice to be an inspiration and have admirers following suit.
If there is one penchant with a movement catching on feverishly in the film world for the last few years due to awareness, it is the progressing sensitivity and liking towards handloom weaves. People in fashion and the entertainment industry consider handloom stylish and a smart choice, as it supports Indian weavers who are a fast fading community today. Weavers are pursuing a rich handmade family profession that’s turned into a cottage industry in rural belts of every State in India who have their own signature textile.
Consider actress Athiya Shetty in Bollywood who chose a simple Kanjeevaram silk from designer label Madhurya in South Bangalore for one of her wedding events early this year. “Believe me it is Madhurya that has etched an explicit mark with many film stars wearing its designed handloom saris, as this is what I am following on Madhurya’s Instagram. It was through my mom’s friend that we came to know of Madhurya. And I soon started catching up with their collection online. I came to know of Athiya Shetty’s wedding sari that I saw, liked and bought,” says newly married professional Nikhila, a consultant, based out of Hyderabad.
Smooth shopping
“Shopping in Madhurya was smooth, love their collection as always,” says Nikhila who is currently pursuing MBA from IIM Jammu. And did Nikhila want to wear the same Kanjeevaram sari for her wedding, as Athiya did? “This beautiful sari was worn for the ‘Pasupu Kumkuma pooja’ during my wedding,” says Nikhila who chose this colour “as it is shimmering and simple. This pooja too was in sunlight, so can you imagine the grandeur of the sari with the streaks of the sun gleaming on,” says an excited Nikhila.
The plain gold-tissue sari without any motifs has a young vibe to it. Its delicate fuschia pink-edging is an added attraction. It brings in a block-pallu that lends a bold and beautiful contrast that was weaved from one of Madhurya’s Kanjeevaram weavers in Tamil Nadu -- one amongst the 1080 weavers in Madhurya’s list regularly supplying the custom-made orders. The label supports weavers from Kanchi, Uppada, Paithan, Chanderi, Maheshwar, Banaras, Kota, Phulia, Andhra, Karnataka and several other parts of the country where speciality weaves emerge. Nikhila was born in Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh and brought up in Hyderabad. One of her interests from her childhood has remained seeing good movies for various reasons, not to forget her passion to observe good dressing and the latest outfits that stars showcase with a message!
Mother’s lessons
Did she have an intrinsic love for handlooms though? “No, it was my mother who gradually set me sailing on such beautiful tastes that help extend for a cause. Since Andhra Pradesh too has a host of handmade weaves, we as children, were ushered into this world of sensible fashion from such elders as my mother who has a lot of interest observing good handmade weaves.
What Madhurya is happy about are customer’s as Nikhila who connect with the designed tana-bana (warp and weft) of the label which has had the likes of Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut, Sara Ali Khan, Madhuri Dixit amongst others wear its creations for major events – to promote a cause. “It’s good to know your favourite brands doing this, it’s very inspiring,” adds Nikhila.
