UNDERSTATED ELEGANCE
W6 STORELAUNCH / ell-known designer, Sohni Makkar, who has launched her new store, Sohni, in the heart of upmarket Chandigarh’s Sector 8 market, says that eclectic and downplayed needs to be a norm in times when everybody seems to be shouting with their attires.
For this MBA and software professional who gave up her lucrative career in computing 15 years back to dabble in design, choosing to pursue her passion in fashion has been the best ever decision. “Despite the fact that I have no formal training in fashion design, this field has always fascinated me, as it calls for an eye for detail and superb aesthetics,” says the 48-year-old.
Insisting that she always wanted to introduce something that was stylish, different, yet comfortable for the working woman, the designer’s initial collections were all in natural fabrics like cotton, chanderi, kota and silk with vegetable dyes and hand block prints which over the years got diversified into georgettes, crepes and chiffons with aari, zardozi work and also some bling on popular demand.
There is complete range of ready to designer wear suits, tunics and kurtis and then the line of ethnic sarees that were incorporated, thanks to the team of artisans, who work with her on the designs, dyes and prints for each outfit.
“I have always found natural fabrics in different cottons, weaves in natural dyes and block prints from different parts of all over the country very fascinating. Bagh prints from Madhya Pradesh, Bagru, Daabu, Ajrakh from Rajasthan and Kalamkari blocks from Andhra Pradesh are sourced and used by my artisans,” she says.
Talking of future plans—she admits that a strong online presence has become almost indispensable in contemporary times. The designer, who has a committed NRI client base adds, “We are working on the website. Yes, online shopping market in India has huge potential and just cannot be ignored. However, it is important to do things right, including scaling up production before going all out in the cyberspace. We are on the track,” she concludes. AT SCO 37, First Floor, Inner Market, Sector 8B, Sector 8, Chandigarh TEL 09316135300