Kochi designers use memories, motifs and gold for their Onam collections

Kerala quirky

Rouka by Sreejith’s collection of Kerala handloom saris for Onam are a bit whimsy, quirky and bring in a whole lot of nostalgia. The collection, says designer Sreejith Jeevan, as the answer to the question: What is the Onam of now? “This connection to our roots is also sprinkled with who we are now.”

“Onam is a search for home — for a sadya that takes you back to childhood; for the comfortable wrap of a kasavu that connects with your grandmother; for that feeling of being one among a closely knit family even when you know it’s through a Whatsapp call.” The designer’s take on the Kerala sari for the festivities is modern meets traditional, “a kasavu that can multitask into our quirky lives of today.” Some of the saris, handwoven at Chendamangalam, have applique motifs derived from celebrations and kuruthola (decor made of woven fronds of coconut palms), indigenous flora and of course the signature Rouka kasavu with its stripes, checks and stunning variations. The designer has kept to the ivory of the Kerala handloom while adding in other elements.

Prices start at ₹3,995; available at the Rouka store and shoprouka.com

Memory chips

Poornima Indrajith has pieced together snatches of people’s Onam memories including her own for her collection, Onam’24. “Onam for me means chips. Among the many memories of Onams past, the chip memory is the brightest,” she adds. She got her team to sketch their favourite Onam memories and they appear as motifs, colours and themes in Pranaah’s Onam ‘24. This includes banana chips, olapeepi (flutes made of palm fronds), dragonflies and flowers to mention a few.

While the silhouettes and styling veer towards the contemporary, the garments are still rooted in tradition, says Poornima. A unisex shirt in the collection, for instance, is in traditional cream, with a slender grey border with a smattering of chips doodled in black on the back. 

Pranaah has come a long way from its debut Onam collection, Vaalkkannadi, that Poornima launched in 2015. The range in Kerala handloom was inspired by the traditional Kerala mirror (vaalkkannadi). The following Onam, Aanachandam, brought in the vibrant hues of the Thrissur pooram into the clothing line, in the form of embroidered elephants and the colours of the parasols. 

“I have taken tips from my past collections, and put together a very different collage for Onam ‘24,” she says. The collection includes salwar kurtas, kaftans, saris, and blouses in off-white and black and colour interpretations. The signature blouses come with lines embroidered on them. The menswear collection includes shirts; which can be worn by women as well. The range has been designed to appeal to the younger crowd. 

Prices start at ₹2,500. The ready-to-wear collection will be available through the year on www.pranaah.com and the store in Panampilly Nagar. 

The gold story

Rasmi Poduval’s Seamstress sticks firmly to the cream-gold roots of the Kerala sari. The Dipped in Gold Onam range was inspired by an old sari Rasmi found in her mother’s cupboard — an old off-white kora sari with gold flowers on it. “It is a beautiful sari and I decided to stick to the basic cream and gold for this Onam,” says Rasmi. 

However, Rasmi interpreted it differently, getting the kora fabric block printed in Bhuj. “Cream and gold is a classic combination, yet it gives so many new possibilities,” she adds. 

Embellishments come in the form of sequins and mirror work. The blouses are in cream too, with gold, some of them trimmed with Hyderabadi lace. The limited-edition menswear collection has shorts with floral prints. Some of them sport typical Kerala motifs such as the elephant, the coconut tree and the snake boat.

Prices start at ₹2,300 on www.seamstress.co.in   

Waves and flowers

Turmerik goes all bold with the traditional Kerala sari, with huge dramatic flower motifs screen printed on them. Rather than just stick to the off-white and gold/silver of the Kerala sari, Nivethitha Sanjay has also gone bold with saris dyed in red and black. The saris are powerloomed, “as the handloom sari may not be able to withstand screen printing and also, the price of the sari would also skyrocket,” she adds. However, she does customise the printing on handloom saris. “These look very different from the mural painted and the block print ones which we normally see.” She has sourced the saris from Kuthampully. The screens are hand-painted and the printing is done in Kochi. The motifs are bold, and a mix of the traditional such as lotus, parrot, and hibiscus, there is also the rose, cherry blossom and hertz waves. Adding that dash of festive glitter is the foil printing in gold and silver. For those not into saris, there are davanis too. 

Prices start at ₹4,999 for saris; at turmerikofficial.in

Ivory and rose gold

Besides Kerala sari, Label M and Mannath Kochi designers Anu and Reshma have experimented with malai chanderi fabric in their Onam collection, Nalini, which means lotus. “Rather than the ivory and gold palette, we decided to go with ivory and pink gold. And for the theme, we chose the lotus. Although we have saris, this time around we decided to create something for people who want something different. We have garments in the Indo-western kaftans, crop-top palazzo combo which can be teamed with a jacket and other options too. We have used applique, embroidery and beadwork,” says Reshma Binu. The Onam-themed saris are also designed around the lotus motif; other options too are available. 

Prices start at ₹3,500; available online at houseofmannath.com and Label M/Mannath stores