Recreating juttis

Hand embroidery

With a deep passion for embroidered art, footwear designer Ekta Sethi thought of recreating ‘juttis’ that can be worn with casual outfits as well.

“During a recent survey, I realised that people find juttis uncomfortable because their sole is flat. Also, complaints of shoe bites, non-cushion soles and unavailability of bold colour combinations were common amongst many. So I decided to introduce juttis that have at least one and a half inch heels and have a comfortable insole,” Sethi tells Metrolife.

Under the label ‘Rungg shoes’, she tries to amalgamate all of the above to create “timeless” and “intricate” hand embroidered juttis.

The designs are Sethi’s interpretation of jutti, with an aim to take them to a global level. She says that the collection is contemporary and comfortable and looks chic and elegant if worn with western wear.

“I think where most people go wrong is when they pair embroidered footwear with an outfit which has heavy work. But a neutral and minimalistic outfit would work the best with these intricately embroidered juttis,” she adds.

The juttis feature zardozi and zari embroidery adorned in bold shades of deep purple, emerald, green and royal blue to bright yellows, blazing orange and vibrant pinks.

Sethi says that her creations are never season-inspired. “While most of my designs are inspired by nature, I never work on designs that are based on seasons. I primarily focus on creating more universal pieces.”

The 37-year-old focuses on creating shoes that are stylish yet comfortable, that marry the present and the past and that is stylish yet relaxed.

“For me, comfortable footwear is most important. So for these juttis as well, I have created double-cushion in soles. One can walk all day and even dance in them,”
she says.

She retails her collection only through the brand’s website and says that she’s now working on an animal-inspired collection.

“The collection will have lots of owls, butterflies and turtles with a vibrant colour combination.”