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Purvi Patel's passion for our outstanding embroidery and textile traditions finds expression in her new Pahnava Collection that opens tomorrow
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Every artistic stitch has a time, era and place attached to it PURVI PATEL
PHOTO: MURALI KUMAR K.
STITCH IN TIME Purvi Patel (seated) is equally interested in the history of embroidery
Cholis, achkans, aabhas, angarkhas, odhinis... wondering what they all are? They are the original names for blouses, kurtis, kurtas, Lucknowi-cut Maharaja kurtas and dupattas, in that order. Purvi Patel of Vermilion House insists on using these names because she takes "pains to bring the original work to people from every nook and corner of India and if I have to preserve them for posterity, it should be called by the native, local names."
Purvi, who has been dealing with a multitude of materials and handwork for nearly two decades now in Bangalore (at Traditions on Race Course Road), is opening her Pahnava Collection at the new boutique Vermilion House in Fraser Town on August 18, which she says is a "tribute to the synthesis of fine woven textiles and handmade heritage embroidery" of our country.
Working with a team of karigars, Purvi passionately believes that "a stitch in time states a time". "Every artistic stitch has a time, era and place attached to it. If the people living in interior villages hadn't given us the amazing variety in needle artistry, how else could we relate an artwork to a geographical area? Only by encouraging people to continue doing it for a living can we preserve the painstaking work of each region and celebrate the diversity. Did you know that phulia saris are from the borders of India and Bangladesh with striking woven borders? Or that kalamkari prints, ikat design, phulkari and Ilkal work were extremely labour-oriented?"
Purvi's passion for the weft and warp was nurtured in her childhood as her life in Ahmedabad was woven with textiles and colour.
Soon her attention turned to the academic aspects of embroidery too, for she wanted to study the history of embroidery and the styles and cuts prevalent in several ages — from tribal people to the emperors.
The Calico Museum of Ahmedabad, Chowmahala Palace of Hyderabad and the Jodhpur museum were just some of the places she visited in the course of her research.
"My designer cholis were a hit in Bangalore even six years ago," says Purvi with pride, who believes in single piece designery. "Bulk productions aren't my forte and whatever people take from me, the styling is going to be one of its kind."
Stitches of aari, kasuti, rabari, sado tako, kanta, kucchi, phulkari, jari and many more have been showcased in her boutique. Some of the superior works here include Jamnagar bandhej, which is fine muslin with gold checks and motifs, double ikat squares of chirala known as telia, the angar ajrakh work used on old pottery and stone carvings, the reel and rustic dhabu and anarchilki prints from the extracts of local plants, hand-painted kalamkari from Andhra's State Award winners, salma-sitara made with miniature mirrors, folk and tribal weaving patterns, village saris for connoisseurs of rustic colours, sourced old temple saris converted into kurtis and kurtas, Pakistani and Patiala cuts on salwars with wide pochas and embroidery and angaarkhas of typical Lucknowi patterns. "This is a 16th to 19th Centuries' spread of textiles and stitches," says Purvi.
Vermilion House is at 3/12, Cleveland Road Cross, Fraser Town. Call 98865-23160 / 41225830 / 23562318 for details.
RANJANI GOVIND
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