Story

Kattam (கட்டம்) literally means checks. However, a simple checked idea can be manifested in myriad different ways. By arranging alternative colours in the warp and weft, a chess-board like design is born. T hese can be further varied in thickness. The minute checks are called podi kattams. When more than 2-3 colours are used to achieve the checks, the result is a palum pazhamum checks. The famed floors of highcourt in white and black inspire the papli checks. When zari lines create the checked pattern, they give rise to another variant. Zari checks can be used to encase motifs like mayil and chakram. When two allied shades are used in the weave, the result is a basket like design called pai madi . As you can see, imagine knows no bounds and there are thousands of ways to manifest checks. What we love is checks do not go out of style. At aavaranaa, we explore how these checks can be incorporated to create contemporary ideas while equally embracing a curated range of traditional silks. Our intervention with traditional motifs lies in colours while we also work on some fresh, modern ideas.