Timeless, versatile textiles is the way forward
Prerna Gauba Sibbal I focus on unstitched garments so there is minimal to zero waste. Scrap, if any, is used for sampling. If we want to check indigo on cashmere lace, we use the scrap to do so.
TANIRA SETHI DANG
TEXTILE DESIGNER
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the current fashion conversation is focused on sustainability and zero wastage. And textile designer Tanira Sethi Dang leads the way, encouraging buyers to switch from a linear model — shop, wear, dispose — to a more sustainable one, by designing timeless pieces.
She is working on drapes which can be passed down generations. These saris or unstitched fabrics are “versatile” pieces of art, which “can be draped in myriad ways”. “You can team it with leather tights or blouses, wear it like a toga or kaftan and belt it up,” says Tanira about her new line, adding, “I am working on new artworks and textiles that can be framed or used as saris.”
Her label, Taani by Tanira Sethi, will introduce two sari collections — silk and cashmere — is all she reveals. An alumna of Chelsea College of Arts, London, Tanira says the lockdown has given her time to play with techniques and textiles. “I’ve used this time to hone my skills,” she shares, hoping to launch her collection by winter if the production starts timely.
The designer, who has several doctors in her family, also designed graphics for their Covid-19 testing drive in New Delhi. “It’s the least you can do for society,” she adds.
Tanira, who is beating the lockdown blues watching videos, especially workout ones, laughs, “I hardly end up doing them.” But she did declutter “watching Marie Kondo videos”, she adds.