Chennai boutique Shilpi collaborates with Sikkinaickenpet artisans for kalamkari line
The Tarangini collection features 55 unique handpainted saris and 25 dupattas using traditional Karuppur kalamkari techniques.
Chennai-based boutique Shilpi has launched Tarangini, a collaborative collection featuring handpainted saris and dupattas made by artisans in Sikkinaickenpet, according to The Hindu.
The collection includes 55 saris and 25 dupattas, with each design being unique. The saris are priced at ₹30,000 and are available at the Shilpi boutique on CP Ramaswamy road in Alwarpet.
Artisan K Lakshmi Narayan, who worked on the collaboration, stated that Karuppur kalamkari has been practiced for over 1,000 years. He noted that his family has been practising the craft for over 400 years.
The production process involves nearly 25 distinct steps, including hand-drawing designs and dipping fabric in starch water from boiled rice and buffalo milk. The fabric is dried in the sun and outlined in black ink.
Narayan explained that the saris are washed in the flowing waters of the Cauvery river after every colour is added to prevent colours from mixing. Designer Nalini Sriram of Shilpi said the artisans predominantly use natural dyes made from ingredients such as jaggery, pearl millet, red sand, and turmeric.
Sriram added that the use of red, black, and yellow dyes lends itself to geometric designs. She described her work for the line as a modern interpretation of the traditional art.