An exhibition of saris in Chennai weaves together stories of nostalgia, grief, and celebration

Cousins Neela Krishnamurti and Vidhya Srikkanth grew up watching the likes of Rekha, Raakhee, and Sharmila Tagore, waltz across the silver screen in drapes of different hues. “Back then, those were our influencers,” says Neela, a former advertising filmmaker.

But there were some others who informed the style choices of this fashionable duo too. “Our mothers and aunts would wear the simplest of saris and look stunning in them. It had more to do with their demeanour and smile than their sari itself. I remember how they would all gravitate towards earthy tones in silk saris,” Neela says, reminiscing. She adds that the sisters grew up wearing each other’s saris, blouses, and clothes, and were always supported by their mothers when it came to their fashion experiments.

“I was unmarried and wanted to wear a white sari to Vidhya’s wedding. You know what the elders say about the colour during a wedding. Although some people chided me, my mother told me to do as I pleased and always supported me. Vidhya and I both lost our mothers recently. The loss was immense, and I am still dealing with it. We wanted to do something together during this time. That is when we thought of saris,” says Neela.

Neela Krishnamurti and Vidhya Srikkanth
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Between September 18 and 20, Neela and Vidhya, will display over 200 saris in Kotturpuram. They will include saris from the Benarasi tissue, Benarasi tussar, Chanderi, pure tussar and moga tussar. “Vidhya has been running a clothing design studio for years and has the knack of putting together some of the most unusual colours together in the fabric. In order for the saris to shine, we’ve also put together interesting contrasting blouses,” she says. Expect to see traditional block prints and jamdanis; and also some gold in the border as Deepavali approaches.

In order to experiment, the duo are playing around with the motifs in the border by taking inspiration from their South Indian roots, particularly in mythical Tamil creatures like yazhi and berunda. The borders have been sourced and printed in West Bengal, while the saris have mostly been sourced from Chennai and Mumbai.

Neela Krishnamurti and Vidhya Srikkanth
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Back in 2005, when the two cousins set up their first such exhibition, they called it ‘nv’, a word play on ‘envy’ — a portmanteau of the names. This time though, they have decided to flip it a little and call it ‘laya’, a combination of the last two parts of their name. “Laya also means rhythm and flow. We want to keep this venture fluid and see how this show goes and want to ensure that we get it right. Our next such experiment is likely to be something very different, perhaps some indo-western wear,” she says.

Laya is on September 19, 20, and 21 at No. 5, Ambadi Road, Kotturpuram between 11am and 7pm.