INDIAN DESIGN HOUSE RAW MANGO CELEBRATES 10 TH ANNIVERSARY
Raw Mango founder and renowned designer Sanjay Garg, celebrating the 10th anniversary of his much-lauded brand was in Sri Lanka last week as part of this milestone for a discussion with experts in fields adjacent to fashion like art and activism followed by a presentation of Saris, textiles and garments at fashion concept stores PR and Rithihi, held on the 30th of November and 1st of December. The conversation, followed by cocktails, held at the Saksia Fernando Gallery was the perfect setting for designer Sanjay Garg to personally introduce his brand and take guests through its journey before a discussion on the arts with author and activist Gowrie Ponniah and art expert and gallery owner Saskia Fernando.
The collaboration was tagged 2 stores, 2 perspectives, 1 designer. “Valli Mohideen of Rithihi is a customer at PR. Annika Fernando of PR is a customer at Rithihi. This is a retail collaboration like no other - a celebration of diversity, choice, difference and complementary styles; an arrangement which is innovative and allows our customers to enjoy a label from two perspectives, and both perspectives over two days in our two boutiques at the same time.” - PR & Rithihi
Innovation was baked into the DNA of both PR and Rithihi from day one, which makes their collaboration extremely interesting as it re-writes the retail rulebook. They know the customer wants “experiences,” and they’re giving them to her. As well as looking after their customers, they are staying true to the unique ways they represent fashion, with Rithihi showcasing the textiles and saris of Raw Mango and PR its garments. This protects their integrity and individuality as retailers.
PR is a modern yet surprisingly warm and textural temple to the many, much-lusted-after, collections housed in this chic shopping enclave on Horton Place in Colombo 07. The Colombo concept store by Annika Fernando has everything a modern chic wardrobe needs. It is an interesting space to shop and is arguably Colombo’s best-known luxury fashion destination with heaps of emerging and established desirable names. Sri Lankan designers interspersed with an interesting mix of international, mostly Indian, labels and one of the few places to find fine and costume jewellery in a cool contemporary setting.
Rithihi by Valli Mohideen houses a focused edit of exquisite sari’s, dupattas and kurtas and Valli and her team of buyers have always focused on identifying designers and brands who contribute to the conversation and have a unique point of view. Several of whom reinterpret traditional weaves and techniques for the modern customer, making it the perfect fit for Raw Mango.
When Raw Mango emerged in 2008, it was instrumental in introducing a new sartorial vocabulary, bridging the gap between the traditional aesthetic and modern sensibilities. “Raw Mango transformed the saree into a power move that made Indian women sit up and take notice. I wanted women to relate to the sari. I wanted simplicity, yet provocation was also important to me, and I approached it by way of colour, imagery and display,” says Garg of his visual language.
The brand has seen exponential growth and created a few hundred thousand designs, sold over 75,000 saris and employs 1,500 weavers and other workers at 500 looms across India in addition to their 120 city employees.
Over the years, Raw Mango has nurtured and developed a clientele of accomplished women from all walks of life, including Bollywood.
Anushka Sharma’s wedding trousseau included a Sanjay Garg design. Kiran Rao is an advocate and Deepika Padukone wore a Raw Mango sari during the promotions of her movie Padmaavat, to mention a few. But the brand speaks to a wider audience than just star power. The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York hosted Items: Is Fashion Modern? which ran from October 2017 to the end of January 2018. It was an investigation of 111 garments and accessories that have had a profound effect on the world over the last century, curator
Paola Antonelli included a Raw Mango sari to feature along with iconic items like vintage little black dresses and the Birkin bag. In May, four members of the Mumbai-based charitable organisation Myna Mahila Foundation (MMF) wore Raw Mango saris to the wedding of
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle cementing the brand firmly in the global fashion psyche.
“We complete a decade this year, and the realisation of this milestone and planning for the future in terms of the growth of the business and new opportunities is top of mind. Especially to not become complacent within a narrow definition of design. We will continue to expand boundaries of the brand, and what I am as a designer through more stores of our own, and to sell our products to a larger audience both in India and globally,” - Sanjay Garg.
Over the years, Raw Mango has nurtured and developed a clientele of accomplished women from all walks of life, including Bollywood. Anushka Sharma’s wedding trousseau included a Sanjay Garg design. Deepika Padukone wore a Raw Mango sari “Raw Mango transformed the saree into a power move that made Indian women sit up and take notice. I wanted women to relate to the sari. I wanted simplicity, yet provocation was also important to me, and I approached it by way of colour, imagery and display” SANJAY GARG