Heritage handlooms, textiles and antique saris

Textile revivalist and conservationist designer Sailesh Singhania all set to unlock treasure trove of heritage handloom

Team L&M

There exists in Nature, a certain type of harmony, beyond the confines of human belief and within those of the spirit. The royal Benarasi silk, is assiduously woven with motifs inspired by the sun and the moon, the natural forces upon which life sustains and society thrives. The motifs embody Nature and its interaction with the human race, like an orchestrated symphony of life in the weave. The colours are a celebration of summer freshness, a coalescence of opulent whites and neutral tones intertwined with enigmatic gold threads.
Marking his solo debut in the National Capital, textile revivalist and conservationist designer Sailesh Singhania is all set to unlock his treasure trove of heritage handlooms. The collection features a combination of age-old techniques like the jamdani, combining it with khadi and embellishing it with intricate motifs inspired by modern Japanese art, thereby bringing a plethora of cultures and traditions together and culminating them into one final creation. Comprising opulent whites and enigmatic gold threads, each sari was woven painstakingly over a laborious period of over eight months to match the unparalleled beauty of our muse.

The Kanjeevaram silk saris, that have remained a constant in every closet since the Chola and Pallava dynasties, are revisited through this collection, celebrating the identity of the fabric with a modern outlook, tapping into its potential without tampering with its ethnicity.
Our efforts lie in creating a sustainable world, wherein our artisans can thrive and are celebrated. This collection is a testament of our efforts and we strive to bring to the fore, the sheer talent that our weavers possess. “We believe in design that combines traditional techniques with contemporary flair using a wide palette of colours. Each of the finest , intricate and exquisite saris take a laborious and painstaking four months to a year to get off the loom,” says Sailesh Singhania.
Sailesh’s forefathers joined Nizam’s legacy in 1881. His great grandfather Seth Nandlal took over as the textile minister in the Nizam’s cabinet in 1926. Singhanias work with 700 handloom weavers belonging to 22 different clusters from areas like Pochampally, Gadwal, Uppada, Kota, Pranpur and others.
To be held in Delhi on August 22 at The Claridges Hotel, the exposition features antique collection of handwoven saris painstakingly crafted by clusters of weavers from different parts of the country.