Drape the
‘Thaamra’ way A typical office going, middle aged, Chennai bred woman – she wears that quotidian chiffon sari with a nicely tailored blouse to go with it. The sheer elegance that the sari adds to her persona is inexplicable, but Asha Cherian, the proud owner of ‘Thaamra Boutique’ has undoubtedly gone a long way in understanding the fashion needs of this woman, which is deeply rooted within her ethnic and cultural milieu. The boutique, which showcases an array of ethnic Indian wear, was launched this August by Dr Grace George of Alpha Group of Institutions and Susan Mathew, IAS. “I’ve always loved shopping and to open an ethnic wear boutique has always been on my mind”, says Asha. “Beyond a certain age, women want to just experiment with ethnic wear and hence the demand for saris are so high”, she adds. What does Thaamra have to offer that the other boutiques don’t? Saris from a conglomeration of regions, particularly from North India. “I personally did all the shopping and every sari I picked out was exquisite in terms of its fabric and design”, says Asha. The customers have an assortment of saris to choose from like the usual Matka Cottons, Tasar silks, Bengal Handlooms, Crepe silks and more. However, the fast selling ones are the Georgette silks with antique weaving and zari, Organzas with Madhubani prints and Kalamkari work on Mangalgiri saris. “These pieces are not easily available in the city”, she says proudly.
Photography - Ashok Raj C.U
Apart from a plethora of saris, the boutique also has lovely semistitched kurtis and salwar sets. Poorvi Doshi has also showcased her collection from Lakme India Fashion Week. So what is next in the pipeline for Asha with regard to Thaamra? “I want to soon start a tailoring unit. I’m going to include some jewellery, footwear and accessories as such, so that my customers have a holistic shopping experience”, she says.
6, Rutland Gate – 4th Street, Nungambakkam, Chennai - 600006 20 TAXI September 2010