Shades of cream, ivory, off-white, gold and silver capture the season of festivities in the warp and weft of handwoven textiles bought as Onakodi, new clothes specifically bought for the festival. Over the years, special Onam collections celebrate the harvest festival with motifs and colours that symbolise the season. And what better way to welcome the festival than with blooms? Flowers are an integral part of Onam, when paddy fields turn golden and Nature is decked in her best.
To capture the mood of the harvest, Kochi-based actor-designer Poornima Indrajith’s festival collection highlights sheaves of ripened paddy on saris, dress material in Kerala cotton bordered with gold zari and embroidered bespoke blouses. She explains: “As part of my homework to create something special for Onam, I decided to focus on Nellkathir (ripe, golden panicles of paddy), which symbolises prosperity and abundance. Hand-embroidered on the sari, the motif gives a three-dimensional effect. The collection, Nellu: the Seeds of Hope, has the motif paired with colours such as mint green, orange and red,” says Poornima. Saris, salwar suits and dresses have her signature nellu motif this year.
