Odisha Silk and Tussars steal hearts in Chicago

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Puri, July 7:

Six yards of exquisite silk and tussar saris is stealing hearts in the windy city of Chicago. Ramuli Patnaik , the famous fashion designer of the Odia film industry is weaving magic with his marvelous fusion creations of sarees and lehengas using Odisha tussars and silk fabrics. The charmed Indian women had a gala time picking up their dream sarees and lehengas  which ranged from Rs15,000 to Rs70,000. The uniqueness of each saree stands out in each swirl of these beauties as they are handmade with intricate Odia designs embellished on it.

“I have experimented by fusing georgettes with Benarasis, Chikan embroidery works and have embellished them with Patachitras ,” said Ramuli. Patachitra is a thousand-year-old art from Odisha, which is painted on canvas and the artwork is based on Indian mythology. The rich colour and the intricate patterns are very beautiful, which has made it world famous. These sarees have become  trendsetters and are very much in demand.

Ramuli is working with weavers in the Sambalpur district of Odisha and is trying to enhance the Odia Bandha pattern.

“The Bandha pattern has the typical kumbha or the temple design on the border and the sari is very heavy. I am working with the weavers and trying out methods to reduce the weight and introduce new colours. These can be worn for cocktails and other informal occasions. I work with a weavers in Benaras who also provide service to famed designers like Sabyasachi and Manish Malhotra," explained Ramuli.

"For the typical Odia flavour I have incorporated Patachitras on Benarasi sarees, stoles, lehengas and kurtis. This design is very high in demand and even though on the expensive side, it is very apt for the wedding seasons,” he said.

“I was invited to the USA for the 47th Odisha Society of the Americans (OSA) festival. The fashion show was a great success and more than 90% of the sarees and lehengas were purchased in a jiffy. My main objective is to globalise the Odisha handloom and silk products by incorporating the fusion design method,” he added.