Odia designer makes models walk barefoot to Bande Utkala Janani

Bhubaneswar: Odisha-born designer Sujit Meher is setting new milestones in fashion arena through his designs, promoting Odisha’s rich culture and heritage, and presentation.

At the Bhubaneswar Style Week, he had his models walk on the ramp barefoot with ‘Bande Utkala Janani’ playing in the background, a digression from the usual western music or Hindi song.

“Since I was showcasing my designs in Bhubaneswar, I stuck to handwoven handloom of the state including that from western Odisha, Gopalpur and Mania Bandha smeared with Pipili applique work,” said this native of Kalahandi.

Through his fashion label Tilottama, named after his grandmother, Sujit has been promoting Indian handloom and art globally. Alongside, he has come up with many designs aiming to preserve the rich handloom tradition of Odisha.

“This collection was all about our culture and heritage and I picked the state anthem as a show of respect to our culture. With it playing in the background, I really wanted the models to go barefoot,” said this NIFT graduate.

Initially, it was difficult for him to convince the organisers and models, but they later understood the emotions attached to the song and his collection.

As many as 30 models of International repute sashayed down the ramp barefoot showcasing his beautiful wedding collection in Odisha handloom.

“The audience response was overwhelming, they could connect to the idea behind the show,” he added.