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Tweaking tradition Model in one of Anuradha Vakil’s creation

Culture has been the continuing thread in her works for over 15 years. Whether it’s the sari, the salwar suit or the short kurta, Anuradha has stuck to handcrafted natural fabrics and super-fine needlework.

Her enduring experiments with textures and weaves have put her in the special league of culture couturier.

“Traditional crafts lend depth and substance to design. I go about exploring forgotten craft forms and weaving techniques and trying to evolve a new design idiom each time. But the sensibility and the silhouettes remain a constant. I keep the embellishment subtle and styling simple. I want the textures to do the talking,” says Anuradha, who sees herself “as a revivalist of traditional textiles and crafts rather than a designer.”

This time, she turns to traditional Bagh prints and the labour-intensive Kalabattun embroidery (finest form of zardosi).

“Each collection is a challenge. It isn’t easy to stick to one’s set pattern and yet deliver something fresh. It involves intense research and travel. But it feels so rewarding to sit and work closely with the artisans. It enriches their lives and mine,” says the Ahmedabad-based designer, who has done her MBA at Michigan.

Homespun, yet haute. That’s the essence of her work. “Yes, I’m rooted to tradition on the one hand. At the same time, my design aesthetic is elegant and appeals to the modern woman. We have to tweak tradition in a way that it appeals to contemporary tastes. How else can we ensure that it survives? Today, ‘ethnic’ has become a dirty word. People do a lot of things in the name of ethnicity. By overdoing something, you’ll only kill it. Our indigenous techniques and crafts are subtle. Not meant to be in-your-face. I know people who put 20 types of crafts in one outfit. I’ve seen designers use mirrors that are big enough to see your face,” says Anuradha, who is a favourite with the likes of Shabana Azmi.

“My clothes may not appeal to all. But I prefer it that way. It is for those with a fine-tuned sense of aesthetics and for those who appreciate things created by the hand.”

Talk about her work in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s blockbuster Saawariya, and she smiles, “I took it up because of Bhansali. He is a fine film maker with an artistic vision. Music, dance or clothes, his taste is classic. And I was certain he wouldn’t expect me to dilute my sensibility for the sake of his film. My work involved creating clothes for Sonam Kapoor, the female protagonist. I did plenty of stark clothes with touches of embellishment. I had to stick to black and inky tones. Being a trained classical dancer and musician myself, the fringe benefit of working with Bhansali was that I could sit through the shooting of the song sequences. So, I didn’t see it as a business opportunity, but as an enjoyable working experience.”

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