Charu Saigal (IT2-201) is an artist, a designer & someone who has inspired her karigars to remain faithful to their traditional craft. Her sarees are from various regions of India. The final product is rendered with exquisite workmanship, the best representation of the art form, & is well designed as a Charu Saigal creation.
Charu predicts that some forms & stitches will disappear. The karigiri nowadays is rapidly becoming extinct or turning commercial with a focus of quantity over quality. Thus, her satisfaction is in the fact that whatever she produces will, over time, become irreplaceable & will enter the Realm of Heirloom.
“My Mom & her friends adorned flowy Chiffons & looked elegant. These memories provided a fertile soil for my creative growth. I began learning about fabrics & embroidery at an early age. Years later, that helped me start off on this journey.”
When Charu moved to Goa, she started making oil paintings on canvas. With encouragement, she showcased her work at the state level and gained recognition & love in Goa.
“Then I experimented with fabrics, colours & embroideries. I designed & got work executed by artisans from across India. Working with them to create exclusive sarees was satisfying.”
Exclusive artistic handmade embroidery is difficult to produce. Artisans are leaving the profession or are mostly producing shoddy work. Charu realised that to keep the art alive, she would have to provide constant work to her artisans.
“It’s thus a labour of love to be able to help families with their livelihoods. I keep my team motivated & rewarded while ensuring they remain patient to my exacting demands.”
India has depth in hand art & rich heritage embroidery. But, surprisingly, even then, quality hand embroidery is becoming the ultra-rich’s domain. It’s associated with named designers who, most of the time, sell only their name.
“I was delighted when my acquaintances supported my work. I thank my friends for encouraging me with their affection.”
by Sumati Chowdhary (IT2-104)
