The 35th Surajkund International Crafts Mela witnessed the FDCI curating a fashion extravaganza, where 11 designers showcased their craft-soaked creations, accentuating the sari and giving it a contemporary rendition recently. Titled “My Handloom, My Pride”, the event was organised in association with DC (Handlooms) and Haryana Tourism. The Chief Guest was Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor, Jammu and Kashmir.
The 11 designers representing various states who showcased included Abraham & Thakore (Madhya Pradesh), Akaaro (Haryana-studio weaving), Asha Gautam (Maharashtra), Jahnabi Phookan (Assam), Madhu Jain (Odisha), Manish Tripathi (Uttar Pradesh), Rajesh Pratap Singh (Odisha, Benaras), Samant Chauhan (Bihar), Shruti Sancheti (Rajasthan), Suket Dhir (West Bengal), and Taani by Tanira Sethi (Jammu & Kashmir, which is also the partner state of this year’s mela).
The show had live singing by Sukanya Chattopadhyay and dance recital by Shivani Verma making the evening special with delightful performances.
M.D Sinha, IFS, Principal Secretary, Department of Tourism, Govt of Haryana and Vice Chairman, Surajkund Mela Authority said, “The Surajkund mela is committed towards showcasing years of Indian heritage of weaving magic. This show is about celebrating the enigmatic, unsung wonders from all over the country.”
Sanjay Rastogi, DC (Handlooms) added, “Handlooms have cultural and socio-economic significance, this show hopes to bring this to the fore by representing the real treasure we possess. Designers have truly captured the innate beauty of each weave, giving the sari a memorable representation.”
Sunil Sethi, Chairman, FDCI said, “We are thankful to the Ministry of Textiles, Haryana Tourism and the team at Surajkund International Crafts Mela for giving us an opportunity to curate and showcase artisanal fabrics, purely executed by hand making each piece unique. The 11 designers experimented with this prolific craft and introduced new flavours to savour, as the woven sari took centre stage.”
