Raw Mango’s spectacular Sooti Collection at Rithihi

Raw Mango’s Sooti Collection, elaborating the glorious heritage of delicate shiny complex cotton weaves in all its spectacular beauty will be on display at the Rithihi Alfred House Gardens Store on 18 and 19 December. The Collection, one of Founder and Designer of Raw Mango Sanjay Garg’s most exquisite collections, is inspired by the indigenous Jamdani craft which has its roots during the height of the Mughal Empire.   

Garg, who will be in Colombo for the exhibition, has exhibited at Rithihi before to overwhelming response and is keen on observing the reaction to this collection. “The challenge is to see whether the saris are bought because it’s Raw Mango as the brand or whether the ladies who purchase it actually wear it and enjoy wearing it because it fits in with their style.”

The Sooti Collection narrates the story of these saris which were made for local wear and even the word Jamdani, has Persian origins, emerging from the word ‘jama’, which is Bengali for dress. Adding a touch of the contemporary to this most popular sari in the Bengali region, the exquisiteness of these saris merge from the discontinuous extra weft patterning in plied or thick cotton yarn, making motifs opaque surface over a translucent body. Floral, geometric or abstract motifs are dispersed all over the body diagonally, on plain unbleached backgrounds.  

Garg’s designs have traversed the globe from rural villages in Rajasthan to a permanent display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. A perfectionist who sees beauty in imperfection, Garg says, “I never forget the utilitarian feature in a sari. Craft doesn’t simply mean that someone purchases it for its decorative value or sentiment or tradition. It has to be used and worn to connect with and enjoyed in doing so.”

He believes that tradition needs to be lived and not bound by genre. “It is constantly evolving and the question I have for myself is; what is my contribution to tradition? Am I helping that process of evolution, making it contemporary so that tradition becomes a definite part of our times? If my saris are worn because they are contemporary and someone believes it embellishes their style and beauty, then I’m helping tradition to live and evolve.”

Inspired by culture and history, Raw Mango was founded to combine two simple elements; the raw talent of young designers, (he doesn’t use master craftsmen) and the signature paisley design known as ‘amba’ or ‘kairi’ meaning mango, which is used extensively in hand woven textiles across India by weaving communities.  A textile design graduate from New Delhi’s National Institute of Fashion Technology, Garg reinvents India’s traditional hand woven fabrics. “I’ve always gravitated towards beauty, especially things made by hand.” 

This marrying of the contemporary with tradition is well aligned with Rithihi’s ‘Style of Expression’.  Showcasing heritage and tradition through unique fabric and incomparable style, Rithihi weaves elegance into each hand-picked design displayed at the store and each exhibition echoes that Rithihi Style and Spirit of Expression. Being socially and environmentally conscious and supporting the handloom cottage industry in South Asia, Raw Mango is yet another of Rithihi’s collaborative initiatives that places the spotlight on young weavers and designers, enabling them to articulate their expression and design narrative through unique creativity.