Latest news with #Supraja
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Tamil script weaves a new identity in fashion
1 2 3 4 5 In Tamil Nadu, language has always been a hot topic. Now, it's haute as well. Case in point: Chennai-based designer Vivek Karunakaran's latest collection Idam (Tamil for 'place'), which debuted in Feb at the FDCI India Men's Week in Jaipur, featuring the Tamil script as individual letters and complete Thirukkural couplets. Karunakaran says the collection began as a tribute to the city, but from there, the thread of the narrative evolved into a celebration of identity, "an unapologetic expression of who we are and where we come from". He adds that the collection is being expanded to include women's wear. "It's declaration of pride." In one look, Karunakaran has a verse of the Kural block-printed on a jacket paired with Korean pants. "We've gone beyond just printing the alphabet to creating meaningful designs," says Karunakaran, whose clothes are priced between Rs 6,000 and Rs 60,000. Designers from outside Tamil Nadu too are scripting the language into their couture. In Mumbai, actor Sonam Kapoor was recently spotted in a cream saree designed by Masaba, which had the Tamil letters, 'th', 'na' and more in black and gold. "The Tamil script has a unique visual ap peal," says Karthiknathan S, a graphic designer who specialises in Tamil lettering. "With almost 216 distinct characters, there is a lot of visual diversity." He adds that when Tamil was adapted into a font, ascenders and descenders were adjusted for visual consistency. "As a result, words and sentences form patterns with varying heights and depths. Depending on the preceding or following letter, ascenders or descenders are altered, creating intriguing patterns. It pushes the possibilities of what can be done with the Tamil letter". This, perhaps, explains why Tamil-script clothes have been well received, even by those unfamiliar with the language, says Dubai-based designer Vino Supraja, who has incorporated it into her collection 'Purisai', named after the Purisai Nadaga Pairchi Palli, a therukoothu school founded by Kannapa Sambandhan Ayya, who was awarded the Padma Shri this year. She adds that the appeal is so universal that most of her clients for the collection are Emiratis and Singaporeans, not Tamilians. "After our London Fashion Week show, the script became a conversation starter. It gave us a chance to discuss Tamil language, therukoothu, and Purisai's cultural richness. The Tamil script is the visual anchor," says Supraja, who grew up in Vandavasi, 10km from Purisai, where her father served as a doctor. Supraja also wore a saree featuring the school's name in her handwriting when she received the Glob al Sustainable Trailblazer Award recently at the House of Commons. Mayank Bhutra, a designer from Rajasthan raised in Erode (which is why he has named his brand Erode), says using the Tamil script in his clothes is about celebrating the place where he grew up. "We're in the process of developing our own typeface for the clothes, blending Tamil and English in a contemporary design," says Bhutra, who adds that as a child, he saw Jamakalam weavers at work and was fascinated. When he returned to the craft as an adult, he realised that despite years of tradition and a GI tag, there were no new designs or patterns. And that, he adds, was when he decided to help script Jamakalam a "contemporary identity".
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
When Tamil scripts become a fashion trend
Case in point: Chennai-based designer Vivek Karunakaran's latest collection Idam (Tamil for 'place'), which debuted in Feb at the FDCI India Men's Week in Jaipur, featuring the Tamil script as individual letters and complete Thirukkural couplets. Karunakaran says the collection began as a tribute to the city, but from there, the thread of the narrative evolved into a celebration of identity, 'an unapologetic expression of who we are and where we come from'. He adds that the collection is being expanded to include women's wear. 'It's declaration of pride.' In one look, Karunakaran has a verse of the Kural block-printed on a jacket paired with Korean pants. 'We've gone beyond just printing the alphabet to creating meaningful designs,' says Karunakaran, whose clothes are priced between Rs 6,000 and Rs 60,000. Designers from outside Tamil Nadu too are scripting the language into their couture. In Mumbai, actor Sonam Kapoor was recently spotted in a cream saree designed by Masaba, which had the Tamil letters, 'th', 'na' and more in black and gold. 'The Tamil script has a unique visual appeal,' says Karthiknathan S, a graphic designer who specialises in Tamil lettering. 'With almost 216 distinct characters, there is a lot of visual diversity.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bolsas nos olhos? (Tente isso hoje à noite) Revista Saúde & Beleza Saiba Mais Undo He adds that when Tamil was adapted into a font, ascenders and descenders were adjusted for visual consistency. 'As a result, words and sentences form patterns with varying heights and depths. Depending on the preceding or following letter, ascenders or descenders are altered, creating intriguing patterns. It pushes the possibilities of what can be done with the Tamil letter.' This, perhaps, explains why Tamil-script clothes have been well received, even by those unfamiliar with the language, says Dubai-based designer Vino Supraja, who has incorporated it into her collection 'Purisai', named after the Purisai Nadaga Pairchi Palli, a therukoothu school founded by Kannapa Sambandhan Ayya, who was awarded the Padma Shri this year. She adds that the appeal is so universal that most of her clients for the collection are Emiratis and Singaporeans, not Tamilians. 'After our London Fashion Week show, the script became a conversation starter. It gave us a chance to discuss Tamil language, therukoothu, and Purisai's cultural richness. The Tamil script is the visual anchor,' says Supraja, who grew up in Vandavasi, 10km from Purisai, where her father served as a doctor. Supraja also wore a saree featuring the school's name in her handwriting when she received the Global Sustainable Trailblazer Award recently at the House of Commons. Mayank Bhutra, a designer from Rajasthan raised in Erode (which is why he has named his brand Erode), says using the Tamil script in his clothes is about celebrating the place where he grew up. 'We're in the process of developing our own typeface for the clothes, blending Tamil and English in a contemporary design,' says Bhutra, who adds that as a child, he saw Jamakalam weavers at work and was fascinated. When he returned to the craft as an adult, he realised that despite years of tradition and a GI tag, there were no new designs or patterns. And that, he adds, was when he decided to help script Jamakalam a 'contemporary identity.'
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Designer Vino Supraja is winning awards for an unusual fashion formula
'Every step in my career has been unplanned,' laughs fashion designer Vino Supraja, 45, 'but it has prepared me for exactly where I am today.' Her journey is testament to the power of serendipity, she adds. How else could a girl who 'spoke almost no English', growing up in the small temple town of Vandavasi in Tamil Nadu, end up winning a trailblazer award and delivering a speech on India's culture of sustainability, at the British House of Commons? 'I've grown to accept that when I'm willing to let go, be dismantled and reassembled, good things happen to me,' she says. Supraja started out, for instance, with a degree in architecture from Chennai. It was there that she met and fell in love with her husband 'and best friend' Deepak Renganathan, a marketing vice-president with a real-estate company. Eager to explore some of the new technology emerging in the early 2000s, she then completed a course in animation. This led to her first full-time job, as a TV presenter and radio jockey with Jaya TV. At this point, in 2011, her husband was offered a position in China, and she and their son Hriday (then six and now a medical student) moved with him. 'I spent hours browsing through courses there, trying to find something I could do,' Supraja says. That's when she stumbled upon a listing for a course in fashion design at the Shanghai outpost of the International Fashion Academy, Paris. 'This and a business course were the only two listings with websites in English, so I don't think I had much of a choice,' she says, laughing. Suddenly, it came together: her love of storytelling, her love of building, her passion for the arts. Here was a discipline where she could combine all three. Her graduate collection in 2014, inspired by the book The Kite Runner, made it to the Shanghai Fashion Week, where she won the Golden Laureate award. Her collections have since featured at the Brooklyn Fashion Week (2016), New York Fashion Week (2018), and London Fashion Week (2023), with designs increasingly rooted in Tamil culture. The instantly recognisable costumes of the ancient Tamil folk art form of Therukoothu (literally, Street Theatre) are reborn as ensembles. The iconic Bhavani jamakkalam stripes turn up in contemporary vibrancy, as accents on clutches and handbags. *** If it seems like Supraja is weaving her stories in fresh and surprising ways, it's partly because she grew up without the frames of reference of most of the urbanised world, she says. Folk lore took the place of fairy tales in her home. Her family had no TV set. Her father, the physician Dr Audikesavalu, opened up his house to patients from nearby villages that included Purisai, a hub of Therukoothu performers. The local temple hosted a range of folk artists too. 'These productions were not perfect. They were crude, raw and unpolished... which made them beautiful in their own way,' Supraja says. Her mother, Vimala Audikesavalu, ran a local school and was known for her collection of handloom saris, which she washed, starched and sun-dried every weekend, in a ritual that served as a bonding session for mother and daughter (and gave Supraja an early appreciation for and understanding of heirloom garments, traditional weaves and sustainable fashion). Syncretism was everywhere. The local church hosted Bharatnatyam classes. The Therukoothu performers let children from the neighbourhood watch and sometimes help with makeup backstage. 'My childhood was a patchwork of simple experiences but these fragments shaped me into who I am today,' she says. *** Given the opportunity to present a collection at London Fashion Week 2023, she decided to give Therukoothu 'the platform it deserves'. Her designs captured the depth and drama of the art form in flowy silhouettes. She showcased the art form itself too, through a one-minute performance by a Therukoothu artiste. Her latest collection is born of her travels to Bhavani in Erode district, to study the GI-tagged jamakkalam weave. The colourful stripes were traditionally used to make cotton rugs. She reimagines them as couture because 'if they can look like Gucci stripes, they deserve to sit alongside them too'. 'Having had my share of the limelight, I now find myself thinking: Who can I share this moment with?' Supraja says. Her eponymous label uses natural fibres and pigments. She offers to buy items back from customers after 18 months, in exchange for purchase points, and has plans to upcycle these items too. In her speech at the House of Commons, she advocated for garment workers' rights. Without the right kind of intervention, their livelihoods — which have tended to be embodiments of sustainability and yet have been tenuous and marginalised — will become even more challenging, she pointed out, 'as we encourage people to buy less'. She was awarded the Global Sustainable Fashion Trailblazer prize at the House of Commons (awarded jointly by the World Tamil Organization and the UK government) partly for her unusual approach to fashion, and for her work to promote undervalued and underestimated traditional crafts. Supraja's sustainability efforts have also yielded a self-published book (aimed at helping people navigate questions of consumerism), a podcast and a theatrical production. The designer, who now lives in Dubai, is looking forward to her next showcase at London Fashion Week, in September. And to more sustainability outreach work, particularly with children. 'Kids will ask if it's okay to buy new clothes for their birthday,' she smiles. 'They grasp the wastefulness of buying a new outfit to celebrate a friend's birthday.' Her hope is that, with enough of these conversations, they will grow into adults who treasure their heirloom garments, avoid fast fashion, and never buy into a microtrend.
Fashion Network
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Vino Supraja celebrated for sustainable fashion at British Parliament
Designer Vino Supraja was recently honoured with the Global Sustainable Fashion Trailblazer award at the House of Commons, British Parliament. The recognition marked a milestone in Supraja's journey from the small town of Vandavasi to an international platform for sustainability in fashion. "Grateful to be recognised as a Global Sustainable Fashion Trailblazer at the British Parliament," announced Supraja on Linkedin. "This award is not just a personal milestone but a testament to the power of ethical fashion and craftsmanship. Sustainability is more than a choice- it's a responsibility. This recognition fuels my commitment to creating fashion that respects people, the planet, and the artistry of our weavers. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey." Supraja hails from the small town of Vandavasi and was educated in a government school, The Hindu reported. At the British Parliament, Supraja spoke about culture and sustainable fashion to a global audience. Now based in Dubai, the 45-year-old designer entered fashion after stints in architecture, animation and media studies, eventually enrolling in a fashion school in China, according to her Linkedin page. Supraja's graduation collection won two international awards and was showcased at the 2014 Shanghai Fashion Week. The designer has subsequently showcased designs at New York and Brooklyn fashion weeks, with collections influenced by events such as the 2018 Chennai floods. Supraja's shift to sustainable fashion began in Dubai, leading to collaborations with Chennimalai weavers and participation in London Fashion Week. Drawing inspiration from Tamil folk traditions like Therukoothu, Supraja has incorporated cultural storytelling into her shows and is now exploring new uses for the Bhavani jamakkalam, aiming to revive local crafts.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Time of India
Karnataka high court faults driver for parkingbus on road without lights on
Bengaluru: Finding fault with the parking of a bus on the road with lights switched off, the high court upheld the order passed by a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in Bengaluru. The tribunal had held that the driver of the Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) bus had contributed 30% to the negligence that caused an accident claiming two lives in 2005. On June 27 of that year, Bengalureans Doreswamy Reddy, his wife N Jyothi and their son N Prashanth and daughter-in-law Supraja were returning from Tirupati by a car driven by one Rajagopal. Around 8.45pm, when the car reached the Gandlapalli bus stop on the Chittoor–Palamaner road, it hit the parked APSRTC bus from behind. Reddy and Prashanth died. The claimants contended that the bus was negligently parked on the road with parking lights off. It was also alleged that both the car and bus drivers were negligent in causing the accident. The tribunal awarded a total of Rs 28 lakh in four claim petitions, including Rs 16.8 lakh compensation with regard to the death of Prashanth. The tribunal also held that the driver of the car was negligent to an extent of 70%, and the bus driver 30% in causing the accident. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo APSRTC filed four appeals, challenging the award of Rs 28 lakh compensation for death and injuries caused in the accident, claiming that the driver of the car was solely responsible for the same. On the other hand, Supraja, and Jyothi, challenged the award of Rs 16.8 lakh compensation for Prashanth's death, citing that it was too low as the deceased was young and working as a partner in a construction company. A division bench comprising Justices KS Mudagal and CM Poonacha noted that the accident occurred at 8.45 pm, and admittedly, the bus was stopped on the left-hand side of the road. "It is further forthcoming that the parking lights of the bus were switched off. The sketch also discloses that the bus was parked on the road and the width of the road was 40 feet," the bench pointed out while rejecting the appeals filed by APSRTC. Regarding the appeal seeking higher compensation, the bench was of the view that no documents were produced to prove the income of the deceased except the income-tax returns filed after the death of Prashanth. The bench noted that the tribunal was right in assessing the income of the deceased at Rs 12,000 per month. Placing reliance upon a couple of judgements of the Supreme Court, the bench said that the claimants are entitled to receive Rs 24 lakh together with interest at 6% as against Rs 16.8 lakh awarded by the tribunal in this particular claim petition.
