Project Brief : A delicate, traditional occasion wear collection which is light and airy suited for the summer season. Floral, feminine and invigorating visual that communicates joy and delight.
Inspiration :
The Gulab Bari collection was envisioned for Tilfi's summer release. Started in 1730, by Mir Rustam Ali, then subedar officer of the navab of Awadh in Varanasi, the Gulab bari festival has a rich cultural association to Varanasi. Rooted in Varanasi's tradition, it is a music festival, celebrated after Holi to welcome Chaitra, the first month of the year in the Hindu calendar.
The venue for the festival is adorned with indigenous variety of roses called, Chaiti gulab, which bloom in this season. These roses have a characteristic pink colour and a mesmerising fragrance, which adds to the atmosphere of celebration. Gathering in unison, people dress in the pink and white colours of the time-honoured festival and savour customary delicacies such as thandai and paan. Classical Chaiti music fills the spaces in between, creating harmony amongst people from various walks of life.
Commemorated with classical music, showers of Chaiti rose petals, and customary pink and white attire, the festival fosters an ethos of joy and harmony amidst seasonal change.
Tilfi's Gulab Bari event
Taking inspiration from the Gulab Bari festival, this collection was crafted in a way to encapsulate the spirit of transition celebrated with harmony and joy, expressed through the artistry of Banarasi. Delicate chaiti roses adorn various compositions in different pieces, flowing seamlessly representing the rhythm of the chaiti music.
Colour palette
The colours chosen are traditional white and chaiti pink associated with the theme, along with various rejuvenating shades of peach, yellow and ivory, suited for summer. The colours featured in certain pieces merge together harmoniously in an ombré, as a symbolic of the transition. We decided to work with silk georgette for this collection, due to the airy and lightweight characteristics of the fabric.
Given below are the images of the saris and dupattas made.
Georgette silk sari with silk, gold & silver zari extra weft, woven using Phekwa technique of Banarasi ; hand-dyed and brush painted
Colour ways
Georgette silk sari with silk, gold zari extra weft, woven using Phekwa technique of Banarasi ; hand-dyed
Colour ways
Georgette silk saree with gold zari extra weft woven using kadhwa technique ; hand dyed
Colour ways
Georgette silk sari with silk and gold extra weft, all-over pattern woven in tanchoi and borders woven using kadhwa technique; hand-dyed
Detail image
Georgette silk sari with gold & silver zari extra weft, woven using kadhwa technique ; hand-dyed
Colour ways
Georgette silk dupatta with silk and gold zari extra weft, made using phekwa technique ; hand-dyed
Georgette silk dupatta with silk and gold zari extra weft, made using phekwa technique ; hand-dyed
Detail image
This project was made for Tilfi Banaras, all the designs are the intellectual property of Tilfi and thus cannot be shared in detail on a public platform. Usage of any content of this project anywhere, in any medium, is strictly prohibited.
Image credits : Team Tilfi
Stitched garments : Vani Shekhawat
Big thanks to all the weavers, graph - makers and artisans for their inputs, and translating the designs beautifully on to fabric.
