Reinventing classics with a contemporary twist for GenY

The old-timers in the city will swear by their love for Kanjeevarams, relishing a simple meal of rasam sadam , sipping on strong filter coffee and the joy of playing pallanguzhi in the courtyard with friends on a summer evening. But over the years, such traditions have taken a backseat as the younger generation is charmed by the philosophies of the West. They believe in hassle-free fashion, like to experiment with global cuisine and play games on their play stations or smartphones in their free time. In such a scenario, classics can only survive with a modern twist, that appeals to GenY. Many Chennaiites are now engaged in steadily contemporising or revisiting the traditional, so that the latter gets a new lease of life.

If you have an old Kanjeevaram saree of your mother or grandmother that has been languishing in your wardrobe, Sujata Pai of Ambi has the perfect solution. She might turn them into trendy long skirts, revealing cholis or a chic palazzo. 

“I work towards making the heirloom more wearable for the young generation. For instance, an old Kanjeevaram saree of a client was combined with ikat and shibori pallu, and we gave her a crushed bandhini blouse with intricate hand embroidery to go along with that. It was lighter in weight and looked fantastic. This way, we can keep Kanjeevarams alive. It is such a beautiful fabric, why should we let it die,” she says. 

Known for repurposing any old piece of cloth, you will find Pai’s brand, Ambi, regularly participating in exhibitions held by the Crafts Council of India. “These days’ brides in south India also want lehengas, shararas or anarkalis for their wedding reception or sangeets. Many of the Kanjeevarams can be converted into these and look absolutely spectacular,” she adds. Most of us have grown up seeing our mothers, grandmas and aunts adorning heavy silks with gold jewellery and malli poo over the braid for festivals and weddings. But the current generation prefers lighter fabric and there is a huge craze for everything ‘organic’. Keeping all this in mind, NIFT alumni Neesha Amrish decided to revive handloom through her brand Aeshane six years ago. 

She says, “I work a lot with organic silk. It drapes around you very well and is not heavy like Kanjeevaram. And we make the hand-woven organic silk as contemporary as possible, so that the younger generation does not shy away from it and can wear it easily. It has geometric motifs, prints and other interesting motifs. So you can wear an organic silk saree with a crop top or even a pair of jeans.”