The 35th Surajkund International Crafts Mela in the capital, got us acclimatized to saris and weaves from different Indian states. Be it Paithani from Maharashtra or Jamdani from Bengal, the fashion show organized by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) had it all. 11 leading Indian designers showcased their craft-soaked creations, accentuating the sari and giving it a contemporary rendition.

Titled “My Handloom My Pride”, the event was organised in association with DC (Handlooms) and Haryana Tourism. Shri Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor, Jammu & Kashmir was the Chief Guest.

The 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), Taani by Tanira Sethi (Jammu & Kashmir, which is also the partner state of this year's mela).

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.”

The show had live singing by Sukanya Chattopadhyay and dance recital by Shivani Verma making the evening special with delightful performances.

 “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.”

 “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.”