By Arré Bench Oct. 14, 2020
Sabyasachi’s latest collection isn’t for richie rich brides. The designer has unveiled a collection of uniforms, using “Ajrakh”, a unique form of block printing commonly seen in traditional Rajasthan designs, as part of a project that aims to empower young girls in Jaisalmer.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee is easily one of the country’s most prominent fashion and jewellery designers. Having designed the wedding outfits of some of the biggest names in Bollywood, such as Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, and Anushka Sharma, the 46-year-old has made a name for himself among the country’s elite. However, the designer has recently proved that he is equally committed to fashion for a cause. According to a recent post on Instagram, Sabyasachi’s latest collection won’t cater to the rich and famous, but to school children.
"Children in India need to be aligned to Indian clothing. It sensitises children to the importance of local heritage," says #Sabyasachi. https://t.co/04iI7q0ng3
— VOGUE India (@VOGUEIndia) October 14, 2020
Tying up with a USA-based non profit called CITTA, Mukherjee has unveiled a collection of school uniforms, using “Ajrakh”, a unique form of block printing commonly seen in traditional Rajasthan designs. On Thursday, the designer posted a picture of students at Jaisalmer’s Rajkumari Ratnavati Girl’s School, wearing the uniforms.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sabyasachi (@sabyasachiofficial) on
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sabyasachi (@sabyasachiofficial) on
In another post, Sabyasachi explained the thought behind his latest creation.
“When designing these outfits, I wanted to make sure they reflected the region’s craft heritage, with the hopes that it would highlight for the young girls, the beauty and power inherent to the craft, as well as provide a better sense of community, connection and pride for their home,” he said, also explaining why he opted for the Ajrakh technique, which “predates modern history”.
The designer also went on to send his best wishes to the young women of this country, and said he hoped his collection would help them find hope, opportunity, and parity in their journey ahead.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sabyasachi (@sabyasachiofficial) on
The project, launched by the non-profit CITTA aims to provide young girls in Jaisalmer with better education, teach them vocational skills, and expand their opportunities for economic independence, NDTV reported.
American artist Michael Daube, who is the face of the organisation, had set up the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girl’s School and Women’s Centre in Rajasthan to help women involved in the Ajrakh textile business, and roped in Sabyasachi to design the uniforms.
“I have always believed in the transformative power of education, Its impact ripples outwards and upwards, from an individual level to society-at-large… So when Michael Daube from Citta approached me to design school uniforms for the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School in Jaisalmer, I was thrilled,” the designer said on Instagram.
Mukherjee, as we all know, has made a name for himself using Indian handicrafts and techniques for his designs, but his expensive creations have often been out of the reach of the general public. Thanks to the efforts of CITTA, however, the girls of Rajasthan will soon know what it feels like to go to school in their very own Sabya outfits.
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