A weave of passion

An array of beautiful sarees, dupattas and dress materials were on display at the Vermillion House recently. Titled Raksha Sutra, the master craftsman behind this collection was Mukesh from Noida, who spoke to Metrolife about his collection and what made him drift towards textiles. “The collection is called Raksha Sutra keeping the protective month of August in mind,” he informs.

According to Mukesh, the colours of the ethnic collection have been inspired by rainbows and flowers. Silks, cottons and chanderis are the materials used in it. An interesting saree in the collection was the light-weight Banarasi saree.

“I have used silk instead of zari and cotton in place of silk in this saree,” he says. According to Mukesh, the USP of his sarees and dress materials is that they are wearable and have a unique design. “I do one piece at a time and you won’t find the same design again,” he assures.

He has 35 people working for him. “Two people are involved in the making of one saree, which takes around 10 to 12 hours.”

A book designer by profession, Mukesh has been into this business since 1984. Even though he was always fond of textiles, it was only when he started writing a book on tilaks, pagdis and jewellery that he thought of taking it up as a profession.

Though he never completed that book, a new chapter on textiles began in his life.
 “Just like tilak, pagdis and jewellery, textile also plays a major role in any particular region,” he feels.

This was the second time that Mukesh exhibited in Bangalore. He has showcased in other cities like Hyderabad and Chennai as well. He feels that his collection is ideal for the Bangaloreans.

 “I believe that natural fabrics are good for the body. These are suitable for the unpredictable weather of Bangalore,” he says.