The saree must be revived. Our textiles have been lying dormant. Most sarees today are bad mixes. People should be able to hold onto their sarees. I have sarees that are 12 years old and some that I have even redone, says the enterprising saree revivalist Abha Dalmia.

Well-known for her exquisite twists to Benarasi sarees, her single exclusive collection every year and her adopted weavers, Abha has incorporated styles, textiles and weaves from cultures across the world. Her first collection based on the Japanese theme was a sell out. This time round she interestingly introduced Thai Ikat weave into her work and showcased it in Bangalore recently, when she engaged in a chat with Metrolife.

“I travel all the time. Different styles inspire me. I was very impressed by the old Thai textiles and decided to incorporate it into my sarees. Cross-cultural styles are great. The more you do it, the better it is. I have done Bandhni weave on Benarasi sarees and phulkari work on sarees. This way my Indian weavers learn something new everytime,” says the Delhi-based designer.

Indulge in a conversation about her adopted weavers and Abha gets nostalgic. She reminisces, “Some poor weavers were sent to me from Benares. I love textiles. So, I decided to adopt them and made them work on mine and my daughter’s trousseau. They were brilliant and soon began to understand my sensibilities. I decided to market their work.

“This is not a commercial venture. I satisfy my urge for creativity and they earn a livelihood. I also wanted to adopt weavers from Hyderabad. But it didn’t work.”

Abha started with just two looms 20 years ago. Today she has 60 looms for the 50-odd weaver families that stay with her. All her sarees are handwoven and speak volumes of her personality. One cannot miss the elegance in terms of mute patterns, stylised borders, lavish colour palette and contemporary twists.

Ask her how to accessorise a saree, she suggests, “Each saree of mine tells you how to accessorise it. Wear different textured blouses to break the monotony. Either your clothes should speak or your jewellery.”

Abha shows her annoyance when asked about the style of sarees used in the Bollywood. She says her sarees reflect the style of the likes of Rajmata Gayatri Devi and would like to design for actresses like Shabana Azmi, Aishwarya Rai, Rekha, Rani Mukherjee, Tabu and Vidya Balan. “I will design only for the Indian sensible woman,” quips Abha who believes that only women must design sarees. Say why? “Men have a different way of looking at women and this translates into their work,” she believes.

Talking about Bangalore’s fashion quotient, she says, “Bangalore is picking up now. People here are vibrant and young. The designers are as good as those in Kolkota. At least they are creative.”

Abha has always remained low-key and does not wish to be part of any store or any fashion week. “I don’t want to go like a bubble and finish like a bubble. I want to be there for my weavers till my last breath. Everyone has a goal in life. My goal is not to make money,” she ends on a philosophical note.