ÉTÉ

ANAVILA | SUMMER 24

ÉTÉ explored the meeting of Tamil and French influences in Pondicherry, with the rose at the heart of its visual language. The project involved establishing and coordinating a block-printing cluster, while developing layouts and compositions for the collection’s printed textiles. Three high-end appliqué saris became key pieces: Audrey, inspired by a French tablecloth; Pearl Blue, capturing butterflies amongst a rose garden; and Colette, drawing from the rosariums along the Pondicherry coast. Alongside textile development, the work extended into creative writing, graphics and labels, while supporting a colleague through her first block-print collection. The project offered an understanding of how much of textile development happens beyond the design itself, through sampling, communication and creating a process that allows the craft and the people making it to work well together.

ÉTÉ | ANAVILA | SUMMER'24 A summer collection with white as the anchor and rose as the primary motif ÉTÉ, joyously celebrates the cross pollination of cultures, a fusion of Tamil & French life. Culture is fluid, forever moving and evolving through borrowing and exchange of ideas, design and aesthetics. Intermingling of ideologies and practices is how newness seeps in. ÉTÉ is our attempt to mindfully capture the mélange of creative fusion around us. We look at the South of India, especially Pondicherry that lives with the scent of roses mixed with the aroma of French coffee. The colonial structures with open windows draped in soft flowy tapestries and a woman or two enveloped in thoughts and conversations around the verandas with their crochet needles capture our imagination. The city's lifestyle embodies a delightful mixture of French and Tamil influences. Be it the love of flowers & laces, age old recipes in boulangeries, unique Franco Tamil architecture or the walk on the promenade, all reflect onto a beautiful yet gentle blend of cultures. The rose motif, fleur d'amour translating to the flower of love, serves as the focal point of this collection. Hand-painted and then meticulously carved into wooden blocks the rose is featured in bouquets, trellises, all over lattices and in individual placements. Hand block printing mixed with applique and embroidery makes this collection uniquely detailed. White is paired with the colors from the gardens of indo-french riviera, smoke blue & blush, soft yellow & green to recreate the feeling of a rosarium. Linen, khadi silk, and khadi serve as the foundational fabrics for this collection, offering a canvas for hand block printed saris and flowing kaftans, perfect for effortless summer elegance. Meanwhile, our appliqué saris and jackets embody the epitome of summer luxury. ÉTÉ will make you fall in love with summer.