(From top) Actress June at the inauguration of an exhibition at Ciao Bella; a model shows off a sari from Rangamati; drapes at a silk display in Finesse. Pictures by Rashbehari Das and Pabitra Das

Ciao Bella, a design studio on 3, Queens Park, is exhibiting its festive collection till October 3. Inaugurated by actress June earlier this week, the event showcases ethnic as well as western women’s wear for the season.

The traditional fare includes saris, lehngas, kurtas and salwar suits, while in western wear there are shirts, kurtis, skirts, formal jackets and trousers.

Saris in crepes, georgettes and chiffons worked with sequins and stones glitter in chandelier-like patterns. Elaborate zardosi work adorn the more ornate ones. The colours are a mix of bright red, blue, fuschia, yellow and subdued pink, cream and peach. “The palette of this collection highlights the lights and colours of the Pujas,” says designer Madhu Khaitan.

The lehngas are light swirling ones, teamed with beautifully-embellished churnis. The simple yet striking designs are also suitable for wedding functions. Salwar suits and kurtas are adorned with appliques, patchwork and stones. To match the garments, there are accessories like jewellery and bags. The silver ornaments are studded with semi-precious stones. The bags come as potlis as well as clutches.

Prices start at Rs 3,000 for the saris and go up to Rs 15,000. The kurtas are priced between Rs 1,800 and Rs 7,000, while the western wear ranges from Rs 500 to Rs 2,500.

Textile talk

Merry myriad of silks woven by master craftsmen of Madhya Pradesh, Maheswar, Chaubundi and Bengal are on display at Finesse on 11/1B, New Road in Alipore till October 2.

The exhibition, an endeavour by textile designer Sujata Sarawgi, showcases saris, salwar suits and materials on a variety of silks like mulberry, tussar, munga, eri, dupion, katiya, ghicha and balkal.

“The show stealers of the exhibition are the tussars and the ghicha in bright shades with various weaves like 2/2 twill, herring bone and mock-leno, woven specially for us on looms in Maheswar and Madhya Pradesh,” says Sujata.

Mixed bag

There’s hardly any corner of the city that hasn’t been touched by the recent boutique boom. Rangamati, a designer outlet on 40, Dum Dum Road, has been cashing in on the new fashion awareness of locals for almost two years now.

The boutique, by designer Dibendu Dey, has refreshed its stock to target the Puja shopping spree. On offer are saris in taant, silk and tussar, embellished with handpaint, zardosi and various kinds of threadwork.

Apart from saris, there are salwar suits, tops and kurtas in cotton, worked with Kashmiri and Gujarati stitches. For men, there are punjabis with the same kind of embroidery.

The price point is rather low, to suit the target local clientele. Taant saris start at Rs 350 and go up to a few thousand, while the rest of the stuff is priced Rs 300 onwards.