Inspired by Venkatgiri weaves, Maribel George’s Sarasa Textiles brings soft, unstarched cotton sarees to life with timeless design and craftsmanship.
Time and again, I’ve encountered numerous fashion brands and campaigns through Social Media. Instagram definitely is the primary source of discovery. But rarely have I had the sheer luck of just stumbling upon the inception of a brand through my friend circle. Around Onam last year, I met Saira Nazrin, a fashion stylist and NIFT Delhi graduate, and we fell into conversation. She had somehow read the feature I had done on Pero’s latest collection for Homegrown and eventually talkked about her friend’s work with textile artisans in Venkatgiri. Somewhere down the line, me and the friend in question and textile designer, Maribel George, and I found ourselves talking all things Cotton, on a random day on Whatsapp.
We talked about the cotton we grew up with, the kind we saw our mothers and grandmothers donning in Kerala that was rarely starched, and draped elegantly; the tactile memory of hanging off our mother’s saree pallu reminded us of how it definitely felt lived in. She shared how her label Sarasa featured delectable cotton sarees, deliberately un-starched to provide the kind of softness that we were reminiscing of, but right from the first wear. But the question of how she managed to do that is one that I held back until this interview came about.
Over the last year, I have seen Maribel’s brand – Sarasa Textiles – come into its own. Developed after extensive research in Venkatgiri in Andhra Pradesh, the pieces from Maribel’s first collection, Cotton Study One, spoke volumes in its simplicity; they feature soft hues – peaches, blues and off-whites, and simple chevrons, polka dots and solid details. The designs from Sarasa don’t yell for attention, but rather invite you in to gaze, study and almost reach out; with its softness and finery being recognisable even virtually. After having done pop-ups in Bangalore, Chennai, and Coimbatore, Sarasa by Maribel is currently doing its initial rounds as a brand, taking it to the people and letting them feel the intricacy of weaving that makes it a worthy investment for those who love good cotton attire.
To learn more, I had a not-so-casual conversation with Maribel, who was born in Kerala, brought up between Dubai and Kerala, studied at NIFT Delhi, and had previously worked with labels like Neytt, Injiri, and Antaran by Tata Group in Venkatgiri as a textile designer. The last-mentioned stint in Venkatgiri is what inspired her to start the label. After having done extensive R&D work in the last two years, she has created a language and disposition for Sarasa that draws from the many textile inspirations that have influenced her, while still ensuring novelty in design.
News Courtesy : Home Grown.