| Who says exclusivity, class and beauty only come at a high price? Art which is appreciated is its own reward to a talented artist and while there will always be a few big names in any industry who will charge exorbitant prices for their work, they are not necessarily the only, or even the most talented artists around.
Maheshika Narangoda’s special skill is designing exclusive sarees and she attributes her satisfying calling to not only talent but also fate’s hand in placing her always at the right place at the right time. Already a gifted artist (her paintings adorn all sides of her home), she had taken a break after her A’ Levels to visit her aunt in Chandigarh, India - the citadel of India’s artistic beauty when she chanced upon some hobby fashion design courses at a local institute.
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| Maheshika Narangoda |
Discovering that they were just starting on a degree programme in fashion design and textile technology, she decided to stay back and enrol for it.
The course was an eye-opener: highly informative, professional and productive in content in which she studied India’s famed temple and fort architecture, Moghul art and sculptures. She also got to visit fabric mills, embroiderers, accessory markets, dye houses and of course fashion shows, plus the opportunity to work closely with Indian designers.
So after a productive and work intensive three years, she returned to Sri Lanka in 1998, only to find that there was not much scope for designers here. She persevered however and landed a lucrative job which took her as designer to fashion shows, fabric fairs etc to US and Europe. It was productive and educational, but also demanding and so after a while she opted to become a freelance consultant.
With more time in her hands, Maheshika was able to indulge in her love of nature and travel- sightseeing, trekking and diving, both here and abroad. She draws most of the inspiration for her designs from these excursions.
“I have been fascinated with the saree since my childhood and with the Indian influence as well, I have always wanted to design sarees,” says Maheshika. She began by designing exclusive sarees for her friends. So pleased were they with her efforts that she decided to branch out on her own. ‘Mandhara’ her own label was launched in December 2008.
The name is ‘a fusion of art, poetry, nature and culture’, she explains, adding that this is what she aspires to in every one of her designs. “Each saree of mine has a story behind it, it may contain an inspiration from the streets of Paris or an urban Indian woman or a lace used for lingerie with mirror work. About 50-60 % of my inspiration is drawn from nature. For example, each saree has a name, ‘The Mermaid’ and ‘Rose Coral’ have been inspired by my love of the sea. One called the ‘Butterfly Ball’ has been inspired by my favourite place in Sri Lanka, the Knuckles mountain range.”
She spends three months of the year in India shopping for her raw materials; she designs her sarees usually only in silk – pure silk, crepe or chiffon. The colour palettes are her own and she gets her sarees dyed to her own specifications, and then goes to work on them using her appliqués, brocades, sequins etc.
try to provide something unique to the customer. You can depend on the saree being exclusive which is more than can be said for the so called designer sarees that are brought down from India and sold here,” says Maheshika. She also believes in a personalized service, spending time with her clients to find out what they want, what would suit them, etc.
” For an exclusive saree, her prices are reasonable, ranging from Rs.13,500 upwards while bridal sarees can be commissioned for Rs.25,000 upwards.
Bridal sarees are new to her range, for according to her, “people are getting ripped off” buying them from stores. “Some of those sarees are heavily overworked and can’t be worn afterwards, not even to another wedding. People spend so much, sometimes even Rs. 100,000 on a saree which will only be worn once. I try to work my bridal sarees in such a way that they are classy enough for a wedding while at the same time, understated and elegant enough to be used for other functions as well.”
Giving full rein to her creative talent, Maheshika’s aim is to bring design to a new level as well as within the reach of the average fashion conscious woman. |
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