The designers of Chiraya Collection are Yashaswini S, Chaitra K, Rakshith B. Their  collection that has been presented at JD Design Awards 2022 is inspired by Kalamkari, the pen art. They first discussed what Sync  is, and then they began mind mapping about themes that they believed would fit  into any of the suggested pathways. The designers are also doing business plans along with the collection. The business module is about Chiraya. The word is derived from chirayu that means long living (a person who lives long).

The designers took inspiration from Kalamkari. They went ahead with it because of its traditional elegance. This is a typical print featured in today’s clothing. Kalamkari have two types one is Machilipatnam while the other one is Srikalahasti. In  Machilipatnam only block printing is used. Srikalahasti means hand painted  traditional things. They created this collection in order to address the  issue of dyes polluting the environment. When waste is discharged straight into the  ocean, sea or rivers, chemical dyes have a major impact on water bodies, changing  the color of the water and harming aquatic lives. This is what inspired the designers to  go with the topic. In Kalamkari natural handmade dyes are used which do not harm the environment.

Initially, the designers started with the Indian collection but then they wanted to go in a different direction and went ahead with the power dressing part. They came up with all the boards, sketches, and research work about power dressing. They came up with a prototype and an amazing color combination .They came up with patterns which they took from kalamkari. The design aspirants presented a monochromatic collection of five Indian wear and five power dressing women’s wear.

The Chiraya collection is winter wear for fall-winter 2023. It is a perfect mix of traditional and western art. Moreover, as amazing is the design and the accolade it received from JD Design Awards 2022 as the Best Pret Wear Collection, the marketing strategy is also unique. The designers will be advertising their collection over billboards, will have their own instagram channels and will also leverage other social media handles.

Mood Board

Collection

Words By: Deepadharshini NA  

Batch: MA in Fashion Communication