Just in time for summer, luxurious silks in vivid hues of electric purple, ultramarine blue, and rani pink are part of Ekaya Banaras’ latest capsule collection, IRO. Comprising 18 saris in silks and organza, the New Delhi-based brand has launched them in collaboration with jewellery designer Anu Merton.
Palak Shah, CEO, Ekaya Banaras, says the collection has been in the works for a few months. “We opted for strong solid colours and kept it minimal to give women a blank canvas, so that they can lend their personal flavour to it, layer it with gorgeous jewellery and play around with it,” she says, adding that she noticed some women fear wearing saris because of their “heaviness and how it will drape, so this was our attempt to create that one versatile piece that you can dress up or down and get into a new look everytime you style it differently”.
“It’s like that favourite black or white tee that you keep going back to over and over again,” says Palak. “Saris are all about expressing your moods,and the colours of your life. There’s a pop hue for every mood, bringing a contemporary twist to the weave and also appealing to our modern senses,” she says, adding that her top picks from the collection comprise Ultramarine Blue Silk, Citrine Yellow Silk, Rani Pink Satin and Burgundy Rouge Silk. “They come in a varied range of fabrics, from silks to organzas, and satins. They’re light, breezy and drape beautifully,” says Palak.
Elaborating on the collaboration with Anu, Palak reminisces how they both went to the same school, although years apart. “We’ve known each other for a couple of years and always spoke about doing something together. I’ve always admired Anu for her fierce personality, and the way she wore her saris beautifully!” The sari is not just about the drape, but the jewellery, and accessories that go with it. “When I met her at the Vogue Forces of Fashion, she stood out wearing a simple white organza sari we ignited on how we wanted to take Make-in-India global,” shares Palak.
Anu, who has worked on a collaboration of this nature for the first time, says she has always treated clothes as a canvas and jewellery as playthings. “The richness of the colours, the lusciousness of fabrics like satin silk and organza — which I personally love, also for how beautifully they drape — really set the stage for the jewellery that includes bangles, rings, necklaces, and anklets. I’ve played with a lot of necklaces, rings and bangles this time, and we’ve tried to use contrasting colours in the jewellery too,” she says, adding that she is usually quite partial to white.
“My father loves to point out that when I’m old and frail I’ll realise I should’ve worn more colour, and we’ll always have a little laugh about it — but I do love colours! And you’ll see why. I was blown away by the range of shades Palak showed me; each one inspired a whole new path for possibilities. We really had fun picking them, making sure there’s one for a different mood, and of course, to pair with the range of jewellery for a variety of occasions,” she concludes.
Saris priced upwards of ₹14,975, and jewellery ₹2,000 onwards are available across all Ekaya stores at Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and online at ekaya.in
