Brass Tacks, the much-loved brand hopes to create a splash with their new ‘Capsule Collection’ — founder Anaka Narayanan takes time out to talk to us about it. “This is the first time Brass Tacks is doing a Capsule Collection. It is a limited edition with just a few pieces in each of the six styles. The bold and striking patterns created by the itijame shibori or clamp shibori; the breezy and relaxed silhouettes lend an element of timelessness to these pieces. They are comfortable and easy to be thrown on and come in a variety of styles from kaftans and shifts to wrap dresses and jumpsuits,” says Anaka.
Though clamp shibori is a time consuming process, the Brass Tacks team have waited a long time for this collection to come together. “The styles are perfect for evening wear, and the collection offers a classy, carefree and effortless vibe for everything — from rooftop and beach side parties to theatre!” she adds.
The capsule collection has just six unique pieces and the colour palette of this collection gives you options to play with. “A vibrant teal green, mysterious charcoal, subdued but wise and royal gold-beige, playful and soft powder-blue, sunshine yellow, and a deep rust and wine, are brought to life with these beautiful silk creations,” she explains.
So, what is the ‘itajime shibori technique’? “It is an ancient Japanese handcrafted technique. There are actually several shibori techniques. Since we’re working with silk, we chose the itijame or clamp shibori, a technique of resist-dyeing the fabric to create a pattern. Fabric is folded in a particular method and then clamped down with wooden blocks of a chosen shape. The fabric is then dyed and opened out to reveal a kaleidoscope-like repeat pattern of the wooden block. Originally from Japan, the itajime shibori technique is now practiced by textile artistes in India as well,” she elaborates.
For this collection, Anaka has worked closely with Namrata Shah of 2Up 2Down, a textile designer in Bengaluru, who works with a small group of women (from underprivileged backgrounds) and trains them to create handcrafted contemporary textiles. “The purpose, in keeping with Brass Tacks’ philosophy of using traditional textile-making skills to create modern looks, is to take this old Japanese technique and adapt the colours and patterns for an urban, modern
context,” she says.
Anaka is of the opinion that with more travel and exposure comes a willingness to experiment. “Chennaiites seem a lot more open to different silhouettes and shapes than they used to before — that’s probably the biggest change that I’ve noticed, “ she comments.
