‘Southern Summer’ at Rithihi with handwoven saris by Raw Mango

Monday, 10 November 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Rithihi presents Raw Mango’s ‘Southern Summer’ exhibition, which brings these two kindred brands together for one weekend in Sri Lanka. This collection of hand woven Chanderi and Varnasi saris will be shown at Rithihi on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 November from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The exhibition will be a wonderful encounter with fashion designer Sanjay Garg’s intricate designs that explore the historical and cultural threads that bind the southern island with the Indian subcontinent. As a champion of handicraft and the cottage industry, Rithihi has ensured that this ancient institution flourishes by continuing to source handmade fabric from weavers around Southern Asia. The contemporary Indian brand Raw Mango is synonymous with high fashion hand woven textiles that have been crafted using traditional techniques. The brand has had a huge impact on Bollywood with celebrities like Vidya Balan and Kiran Rao who are often photographed wearing one of Sanjay’s creations. However, Raw Mango has stayed true to its philosophy and continues to be socially conscious and their relationships with weavers across India have had a positive impact on the socioeconomic conditions in the region. Since its inception, Raw Mango has been working with weavers in Chanderi, Varanasi, and Bengal. Further, the brand has also gone on to expand the breadth of its selection by working with block printers in Akola and Rajasthan.

Sanjay Garg has made a name for himself in the handloom industry making his mark with his transparent silks of Chanderi and his recent work with Banaras brocades. Originally from Rajasthan, Sanjay has been around many craft traditions and grew up to appreciate and value the same. He started his education in design at the Indian Institute of Crafts & Design, Jaipur and completed his journey at the world-renowned National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi. Sanjay went on to form the brand Raw Mango. According to Sanjay, “As far as the name ‘Raw Mango’ is concerned, it stems from my belief that beauty lies in imperfections. I found that ‘Raw Mango’ was the perfect metaphor for this phenomenon.”