Traditional Fashion is New Again!
In this elephantine realm of consumerism and material consumption, all that we need is a sustainable and environment-friendly space for culture and fashion. The more we have subjected ourselves to the epoch of fast fashion, the more we have receded ourselves from the veritable qualities of tradition and age-old traditional values. Culture never dies. All that happens with the biography of a particular culture is that sometimes it gains peak and sometimes it gets languished. Languishing folk arts from India’s riches are a must-have for the country people to persevere to their notable and foremost qualities. Mridani aims at doing so uplifting the true colors of Bihar with design discoveries and idea implementation. The fashion box which the common people have ensconced is full of modern-day fabrics, prints, designs with machinery touch and creative based technology. Transforming and curating this box with more of handcrafted traditional accouterments, showcasing the beauty of Bihar’s prominent folk art – Madhubani (Mithila painting) is what Mridani feeds upon with felicity and dedicated contributions.
Madhubani paintings were initially practiced by different sects of people from Mithilanchal (North Bihar) and hence the paintings were categorized into five different styles, such as Tantrik, Kohvar, Bharni, Kutchni, and Godna. But, the contemporary hit of the folk art has shaken the very foundation of its authentic style statement, which has made the artisans merge the five different styles creating variants. The themes used in these paintings often revolve around Hindu deities like Radha, Krishna, Rama, Sita, Hanuman, Lakshmi, Ganesha, Saraswati, Durga, Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu, Dashavatara, etc. Heavenly bodies like the Sun and the Moon often form the centerpiece of the paintings. The intricate patterns based on flora and fauna are multiple sources of pulchritude for these paintings making them invigorating with more colors, rhythms, harmony, balance and eye-catching mien. Motifs like peacocks, parrots, fishes, tortoises, elephants, snakes, horses, birds, lions, etc. make the paintings more interesting and attractive. One can also find paintings based on the scenes from the royal courts and wedding affairs, Krishna’s Rasleela and varieties of incarnations.
The usage of geometrical patterns is pretty much apparent as the complex mathematical patterns were used to make the Madhubani paintings more intriguing and special. The paintings have also a touch of simplicity through the style and forms, for the brush and colors used are often derived from the natural sources. While the paintings are largely made using powdered rice, colors derived from turmeric, pollen, pigments, indigo, various flowers, sandalwood, and leaves of various plants and tree; also, numerous natural sources are combined and processed to obtain the desired color. Henceforth, each painting has its own theme as the artist pleases or wants to express. The objective of Mridani is to imbibe these customary manifestations in the hand-picked and handcrafted apparel and accessories at its store that will give its consumers the best of the traditional experience and appeal. This laborious journey is also colored in the tints and shades of contemporized design, as when amalgamated with the traditional designs, make the product look novel and special.
