A well known brand in Bengaluru, Plantation House, opened its doors in Hyderabad on Saturday. Shalini Subramanian, an NID graduate has been designing since 1996 but set up her atelier only in 2009.
I ask her about the unusual name for a clothing brand that she has chosen. She says, “Life on a plantation is very close to the earth, very practical. There is a serenity and calm about the pace at which life moves at a plantation. I had this philosophy in mind when I started this label. My clothes are like that – easy to wear, no fuss, can be worn in several different ways and long lasting. The idea of sustainability is what I want to promote, where the garment is so versatile it makes a home in your wardrobe.”
Her tops and tunics are mostly in handloom fabrics like tussar, khadi, cotton, silk, cotton silk etc. The colours she uses are interesting, muted greens, crimsons, blues, beiges and some oranges. Most of them echo the colours of dried flowers and because they are clubbed together according to style, it is easy to select one that works for you.
Shalini has taken classic shapes like the kimono, the African tunic etc and given them a modern twist. The versatility of her garments means a person can wear them any which way they want. A rectangular hemlined short cropped top can be taken over the neck and worn as a jacket.
Cullotte style trousers can be worn low on the hip or high on the waist. Interesting pictures of Shalini’s clients wearing her clothes in different styles adorn the store which has furniture done in the Shaker style of woodwork. Simple lines with wooden pegs on panels that can be moved to any part of the shop, a cement floor and a very minimalistic feel overall echo her theme of sustainability.
Sizes are available for women of all shapes and from a girl of 14 to a woman of 70 can find something they like at her store. Prices range from Rs 2500 to even Rs 25000 for the Pashmina kurtis which were really the most unusual of her fabric choices.
The pieces of handwoven fabric cut into interesting drapes and geometric lines are intriguing and very wearable. So for those of you looking for embellishment and bling free clothing to suit your body’s contours, check out the Plantation House store at Banjara Hills.
Address: Plantation House, Annapurna Studios Lane, Road No. 2, Banjara Hills. Closed on Mondays.
