When Sabyasachi Made Mumbai Fashionistas Swoon Over Odissi Handloom

When Sabyasachi Made Mumbai Fashionistas Swoon Over Odissi Handloom

It isn’t every day that actors or models in Mumbai flaunt Odissi handloom and tribal textile on ramp. But that was exactly what Shagoon Sabyasachi Satpathy wanted when he planned a gala fashion show in the tinsel town recently.

A well-known fashion designer and chef, Shagoon, also a member in last season’s Bigg Boss house, also managed to rope in co-contestant and model Arshi Khan as the show-stopper along with actor-cum-model Sachin Khurana.

The show, which received great response from fashionistas in Mumbai, has now motivated Shagoon to do more such events to make people aware about the rich handloom tradition of the state, as he tells MyCityLinks in an exclusive interview. Excerpts

What was the idea behind organising such a special show based on Odisha handloom in Mumbai?

As you know, fashion weeks are all about promoting new styles and designs and so when Navi Mumbai Fashion Week organised its second season, I opened the fashion week, showcasing my brand “Keembdanti”. Mumbai is the fashion capital of India and Bollywood is always known for new fashion trends and designs. So, I decided to use this platform to promote Odisha handloom on a larger scale, before a bigger audience for awareness.

How was the response from people?

It was amazing. People loved the men’s collection of kurtas and tribal saree weaves of Odisha. Some of them placed orders too.

How many garments were showcased? Any particular designs or styles that were highlighted?

There were 12 designs for men, made out of Sambalpuri Kotpad and Soura tribal fabrics and six saree weaves of Soura, Dongaria and Kotpad.

What were the special elements you focused on to make the show more interesting?

Traditional Odia tribal and Odisha handloom in new patterns and designs were the major highlights of our collection. These are wearable and can be availed from our brand. To make it appealing, I made the girls wear all the sarees draped in Kotpad, Soura and ‘Gharapindha’ style with heavy bronze, copper and brass jewellery.  

Many actors were a part of the show. What was their response?

My actor friends loved the collection and the weaves. They got an idea how nice and soothing Odisha handloom and handwoven fabrics can be! I had ace designers Rehan Shah and Asif Merchant attending the show and they loved all the designs and fabrics. They want to work on these fabrics in future.

Any special memory from the show?

Well, the show started a bit late but went off really well and ended with a bang. The element which was most interesting was Arshi Khan in a different ‘avtaar’ for the first time and she looked stunning in the Soura tribal saree, messy hair bun and heavy ornaments, which were designed by me.

What was Arshi’s reaction when you approached her with the concept?

Arshi is a dear friend of mine. And she immediately agreed to be the show stopper without even finding out about the concept! “Aap pe mujhe bharosa hai ..aap jo bhi karenge, dhamal kamaal karenge” – these were her words. And, she did look stunning in the drape and carried it off really well.