Launched on the trendy Dover Street in London, Varana’s contemporary silhouettes echo quiet luxury, paying tribute to India’s rich craft and textile history. Its co-founder, Sujata Keshavan, tells us more about the brand
From being primarily known for ethnic wear and bridal wear, Indian creations by fashion brands in the country are increasingly gracing red carpets across the world. With more and more designers going global (Anita Dongre and Sabyasachi have their respective stores in New York; Nappa Dori in London and Dubai), it is clear that there is a demand for the country's talent abroad. In recent times, however, homegrown labels are focusing on retailing made-in-India contemporary wear internationally–for instance, Ruchika Sachdeva's clothing line Bodice retails at Harvey Nichols in London, and you can find Verandah's signature resort-wear dresses at Bergdorf Goodman. Similarly, Varana, a Bengaluru-born label that creates sophisticated ready-to-wear steeped in Indian heritage, opened its flagship store in London's trendy Mayfair district in 2017.
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"Varana was one of the first attempts to establish a made-in-India luxury brand for a global market," says co-founder and creative director Sujata Keshavan
Looking at heritage through a modern lens
With nary an embellishment in sight, pared-down modern silhouettes and a muted colour palette dominate the cashmere sweaters, silk blouses, trousers, jackets and hand-embroidered trench coats at Varana. Prices start at ₹ 19,800 for a silk camisole top and go up to ₹ 134,825 for an embroidered silk organza trench coat. "For many years, I kept thinking how India has so much to offer in terms of its extraordinary textile and craft heritage. What was missing was a contemporary and international approach to design, and the need to create a brand that re-interpreted our heritage through a modern lens," says co-founder and creative director Sujata Keshavan. The Yale graduate and award-winning graphic designer teamed up with Ravi Prasad, former chairman of Himalaya Drug Company, to start Varana. With funding from a group of investors, friends and family, the label was born in 2017. Instead of partnering with a luxury department store like most emerging labels then or taking the pop-up route, the duo straightaway set up a brick-and-mortar store–that too in London.
"Varana was one of the first attempts to establish a made-in-India luxury brand for a global market. Unlike France and Italy, India was not known internationally for luxury fashion. Since Varana is a concept-led brand with a strong philosophy, we felt it was important for it to have a home where this philosophy could be experienced. Having a couple of rails in department stores would not have been an effective way to communicate what we stood for," explains Keshavan.
Building from scratch
After extensive research, which included identifying the skillsets readily available in India and evaluating over 50 workshops, they decided to set up their own. They also brought in experts from high-end Italian brands to train their teams to ensure quality control. Case in point: Stefano Arienti, Varana’s product development manager, has years of experience with luxury labels, including Louis Vuitton. Meanwhile, Varana’s former CEO previously worked as the managing director of the British brand Joseph.
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Clothes aside, Keshavan also believes in spreading awareness about India's craft heritage by various means
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Aside from craft clusters across India, their Bengaluru-based studio comprises Indian textile and graphic designers who work alongside Italian fashion designers
"Ravi and I were not from the fashion industry, so we had to acquire domain expertise in the areas where we had none. It was important for the CEO to have a knowledge of the markets we were planning to sell in. When we started, we hired someone familiar with the luxury fashion industry in the United Kingdom," shares Keshavan. Their 75-people strong multicultural team spans four continents. Aside from craft clusters across India, their Bengaluru-based studio comprises Indian textile and graphic designers who work alongside Italian fashion designers. Knitwear is designed in Japan, while sales and marketing happen out of Dover Street, and their digital team is based in the United States and Australia.
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Their artisanal production model involves minimum water and electricity consumption. Its artisans, too, are paid fair wages, and conducive working conditions are their top priority
Handcrafted to perfection
With a strong focus on slow fashion, their designs are handmade and transcend seasons–think roll-neck cashmere sweaters, slip dresses and classic silk shirts–all boasting meticulous finishing. "India has extraordinary craft techniques dating back centuries. While artisanal ways of making died out in the West after industrialisation, in India, craftspersons are still present in large numbers. Varana works with the best practitioners who have mastery over their craft and amazing hand skills," she explains. Their cashmere pieces are either entirely hand-knitted (like the chunky cable hoodies) or knitted on small hand-operated knitting machines, which Keshavan believes requires a lot of skill. "This is different from how most knitwear is made today–by using large, fully automated knitting machines." So does this justify its seemingly hefty price tag? For example, a cashmere dress sells for ₹ 114,851. "The truth is that our prices are extremely reasonable, given the superb quality of our fabrics and the extent of workmanship by hand. A comparable garment made in Europe with the same specifications would be at least four times more expensive." Keshavan makes a fair point. A cashmere dress from Italian label Loro Piana retails for approximately ₹ 270,000. The difference in quality? Negligible, if at all.
Further highlighting its Indian heritage is the intricate embroidery seen on the garments. Varana’s 'Rabari' collection is an ode to a technique indigenous to the nomadic Rabari tribe from the Kutch region and features twisted ribbons and cord appliqué. Other decorative techniques used include aari embroidery and Rajasthani block-printing. Moreover, the label develops its fabrics in India as opposed to using readymade textiles or purchasing from international trade fairs. By using Jamdani muslin (woven in Bengal), Varana keeps alive a complex weaving technique that not only dates back to the 4th century but is also one that has been declared a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Creating awareness
Clothes aside, Keshavan also believes in spreading awareness about India's craft heritage by various means. The team at Varana's flagship store is trained to speak about the craft behind the pieces to visitors. "We also hold talks and events featuring live demonstrations with craftspeople. For example, we have demonstrated the spinning and weaving by hand of khadi, a fabric with a zero-carbon footprint. For London Craft Week, every year, we created special exhibitions focused on highlighting different craft techniques," she says. Elsewhere, Varana strives to be mindful from the ground up. "We only use natural fabrics like silk, cotton, linen and cashmere that are 100 per cent biodegradable. By avoiding using synthetic fibres like polyester, nylon or acrylic, Varana significantly limits its contribution towards plastic pollution and climate change," says Keshavan. She adds that their artisanal production model involves minimum water and electricity consumption. Its artisans, too, are paid fair wages, and conducive working conditions are their top priority.
"THE TRUTH IS THAT OUR PRICES ARE EXTREMELY REASONABLE, GIVEN THE SUPERB QUALITY OF OUR FABRICS AND THE EXTENT OF WORKMANSHIP BY HAND. A COMPARABLE GARMENT MADE IN EUROPE WITH THE SAME SPECIFICATIONS WOULD BE AT LEAST FOUR TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE"
Sujata Keshavan
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With a strong focus on slow fashion, their designs are handmade and transcend seasons–think roll-neck cashmere sweaters, slip dresses and classic silk shirts–all boasting meticulous finishing
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With nary an embellishment in sight, pared-down modern silhouettes and a muted colour palette dominate the cashmere sweaters, silk blouses, trousers, jackets and hand-embroidered trench coats at Varana
Lastly, for a label that is so proud of its roots, one wonders why they wouldn’t retail out of India. "In the luxury segment, Indian designers have focused mainly on the domestic market, which is centered around bridal and wedding wear. Luxury design in India is culture-specific and relevant only to the Indian market or to the Indian diaspora," explains Keshavan. Additionally, the high price points for its refined aesthetic without heavy embellishments are yet to appeal to the local Indian customer. Securing a spot in Mayfair was challenging, especially if neighbouring boutiques include Victoria Beckham and Acne Studios. It took them two years to convince landlords to rent to Varana– being a new label from India, the landlords were unsure of what to expect in terms of aesthetics. Yet, London proved to be a successful choice. With people from over 60 countries shopping at the store, it's clear that Varana's designs are truly global. While expanding to India is not the cards anytime soon, up next for Keshavan and Prasad is a specialty skincare and wellness brand based on the platform of researched Ayurveda, due to be launched early next year.
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