City models showcase creations by Krishnkali and (above) Grace sports a Madhubani-painted sari from Nupur’s. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

Mother-daughter duo Moushumi and Nupur Kabiraj has been specialising in Madhubani art on garments for quite some time now. While the fabric focus has always been on cotton and silks of Bengal, this time the designers have experimented with Madhubani painting on Kanjeevaram silks and south cotton.

The line, especially done for the Pujas, will be showcased at an exhibition between September 11 and 14 at Nupur’s at 255, Jodhpur Park.

“Madhubani painting, which is a folk form of Bihar, is a dying art now. Our aim is to keep this art alive and we use the original method where each design is painstakingly painted with a kalam using natural and vegetable dyes. We also use the traditional motifs that women in the villages of Bihar used to paint on the walls of their houses,” says Nupur.

While the motifs are usually floral, animal and human figures, designs on some of the garments tell folk tales and depict scenes from life in the villages.

Apart from Kanjeevarams, the exhibition also showcases Madhubani on taant and various kinds of silks. While saris form the mainstay of the line, there are also salwar suits, kurtas, tops and dupattas for women and kurtas and dhotis for men.

The Kanjeevaram saris start at Rs 6,000, while the other silk saris are priced from Rs 3,000 onwards. The cotton range starts from Rs 1,500.

Salwar suits and tops are priced from Rs 1,500 and Rs 500. Men’s wear starts at Rs 750 for the kurtas and Rs 1,500 for the dhotis.

Ornate touch

Krishnkali, a newly-opened boutique at 16L, Judges Court Road, is hosting an exhibition of its festive offering of saris and salwar suits till September 10. The saris are created by in-house designers, but the suits have all been sourced from various stylists of Calcutta as well as Delhi.

Georgettes make up about 80 per cent of the collection, while the rest comprises crepes and cottons. Embroidery forms like gotah, aari and resham work, prints, patchwork and texturing lend the saris the ornate touch. Techniques like pleating (with each of the pleats bearing different designs) and layering (two saris joined to give volume and layers), make them more glamourous. The range varies from simple printed georgettes to heavy bridal wear.

The cotton saris are priced between Rs 495 and Rs 2,500, while the georgettes and crepes start at Rs 2,000. The suits are priced from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500.