Bhubaneswar, Feb. 4: Young designers have a new platform to showcase their work - the national handloom expo, which kicked off today at the Exhibition Ground.
For the first time, the state handloom and textile department has dedicated three kiosks to encourage young designers.
Manas Dash, one among the six designers who have been allotted a kiosk at exhibition, has already made a mark at national fashion weeks.
Dash creation at a fashion
show.
Picture by Ashwinee Pati
and Telegraph picture
Known for his work on Sambalpuri handloom and the various exclusive Odia cotton and silk fabrics, the young designer has also been designing for the state's textile brand Boyanika and well-known sari house, Meher's.
An alumnus of National Institute of Fashion technology (NIFT), Dash's collections are based on pattachitra art of Odisha. His exhibits at the handloom expo will include modern day attires and accessories made of Odisha's handloom with splashes of pattachitra, he said.
Another Odia alumnus of NIFT, Binoy Munda, is also displaying his works at the exhibition. Munda also designs for Boyanika and has even set up his own store in the city. It is only after meeting with customers directly that a designer understands their perceptions, he said.
"It is a golden opportunity for designers like us to have got an opportunity to display our works at the national expo. We are not only displaying our creations, but are also meeting customers and interacting with them. This helps us understand what people want and where we need to improve," said Munda. He works mostly on Ikat and tussar fabrics.
While Dash is an alumnus of NIFT Gandhinagar, Munda studied at NIFT, Bangalore.
"I have chosen jackets which are from my latest collection. Buyers will also find shirts, kurtis and stoles as well as accessories such as bags," said Munda.
This exposure at the national handloom expo will help the designers understand the preference of the customers. This fair is very popular and is expected to do a business of about Rs 7 crore this year, said an official of the state handloom department.
"Three stalls have been allotted to NIFT alumni from Odisha. Apart from Manas Dash and Binoy Munda, other kiosks will be showcasing works of a few pass-outs from NIFT, Bhubaneswar," said Bibhu Prasad Sarangi, managing director, Boyanika. The handloom expo is on till March 1. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the expo today.
