In our country, where textiles have a lot to do with the region they come from, the 'Weaves -The Cotton and Silk Spectrum' exhibition, is a true showcasing of talent and art.
This exhibition that is on till January 29, is being held at the Siddhartha Hall of Hotel Lalit Ashok City.
Ranging from traditional sarees like kanjeevarams, crepe silks, dharmavarams, uppadas, pochampally, narayanpet, gadwals, paithani, 'Benaras brocades', patolas to the non-mulberry or wild silks like tussar, eri, muga, kosa, this exhibition has something for everyone.
In patterns and prints, the tie-and-dye, and block and dabu prints of Rajasthan, kalamkaris of Andhra Pradesh, bandhej and Kutch embroidery of Gujarat, batiks of Madhya Pradesh, kantha and block prints of West Bengal, kasuti from Karnataka, kashida of Jammu and Kashmir, are all available at this exhibition.
M Subramanium, a representative of an Andhra Pradesh stall, says, "People know what they need here. There are people coming from all over for mangalagiri cotton, and that seems to be in focus now."
Vinod Kumar from Delhi is selling just kurtis at his stall. Vinod says, "We've always had a good response, whenever we've been in this City. Kurtis are always in demand, as they fit into any women's needs, may it be for college, for work, or for an occasion."
With saris and dress materials, are also stalls which have readymade blouses. Jayanti, representative of a stall from Bangalore, has showcased ready-to-wear blouses, with sarees to match with them too, according to one's taste. "People are looking for variety, and thus these blouses are selling fast. Their fitting is perfect and one can adjust the stitching, to fit one's own needs. The different colours and options are also another attraction," vouches Jayanti.
Apart from clothes, there are also centre table covers, sofa covers, bed spreads, and cushion covers made from stain proof material, and more. Another interesting item found at the exhibition was, sari border rolls that can be stitched on to any plain saree or otherwise. to make it unique and stand out. Varying from cut works to embossed ones, to ones with stones and sequence embellished.
"Every region has its own diverse colours, fabric, prints, weaves and embroideries, and this is very expansively showcased here at the exhibition. I was here to look at some chikan work clothes, and I got what I was looking for," says Saraswathi, a homemaker.
"The products are a bit pricey, but considering the work, effort and talent that is behind each item here, it's justifiable. I have done my fair share of shopping, and will be coming back for more," says an excited Reema K, a student.