Saree and style go hand in hand

The designer duo – Neeta and Chandra, of Sakhi boutique, share their journey of passion

At Sakhi, the mother-daughter designer duo Chandra and Neeta have experimented with the best Indian sarees and created the ‘Instra Saree’, which is unique and one piece with blouse attached. Sakhi, a designer store, celebrated its 10th anniversary recently. Clad in sarees designed by the duo, the models walked the ramp on this occasion.

Neeta Rajendran, a young entrepreneur with telecom engineering background, realised that her interest lies in something, which would give her an opportunity to explore the vibrant and creative side of her persona. So she subsequently completed her diploma in Fashion Designing from NIFT Bengaluru.

Neeta has an artistic flair since childhood; however, her objective was to handle the business aspects of Sakhi, while the creative side is being handled by her mother Chandra Rajendran.Chandra Rajendran, has been a successful Bangalore-based designer for more than 15 years. She experienced her first step of success in the form of a home boutique; something which she started as a hobby.

Neeta shares, “My mother had a hobby for designing sarees, so we had a home boutique since 1992. Watching my mother working, it evoked an interest and passion for designing in me. We have two stores in Bangalore and one store in Hyderabad. Every design of ours is unique and one piece.”

Speaking about her latest collection in the store Neeta says, “Our new collection has elegant designs are a blend of extravagant fabric in vibrant hues in a concept. There are over 4,000 designer saree crafted using Kanchivaram, pure silk, dupion or raw silk, kora silk, organza, tussar, matka, chiffon, georgette, chanderi and pure cotton.”

On display there is an extensive collection of designer sarees and salwars featuring cut work, which is an art form involving delicate lace like embroidery, hand block printing technique using incised wooden blocks, numerous hand embroidery techniques that can transform a somber fabric into a timeless classic and a range of pure handloom silks. Saree adds value to women’s elegance. “We also sell our collections online at sakhifashion.com,” Neeta shares.

By:Chitra Saikumar