Kerala Based-Designer Nivethitha Has Been Redefining Screen Printing One Kasavu Saree At A Time – News18

The Kerala kasavu saree (white cotton saree with a gold zari border) has been a classic favourite for many occasions. Over the years, the saree has gone through a series of transformations, with designers and brands experimenting with colour, prints and motifs.

Turmerik by Nivethitha Sanjay Prabhu has been reviving the age-old techniques of manual screen printing and creating contemporary prints on the traditional Kerala saree. With a wide range of Kasavu sarees celebrating the beauty of nature in vibrant shades, each print tells a beautiful story, hand-painted and hand-printed by the talented designer Nivethitha.

Ahead of the festive and wedding seasons, here are kasavu sarees enhanced with a combination of hand printing and hand painting techniques.

Chethi Poovu

The Chethi Poovu, also known as Jungle Geranium, is a common flower found in Kerala homes. The kasavu saree is a combination of hand painting and hand printing techniques blended beautifully in festive shades of orange and saffron. This colourful base of the saree also breaks away from the traditional ivory/white colour, making it a must-have this wedding season.

Banana Leaves

Celebrating Kerala’s love for banana leaves, this kasavu saree is adorned with bold, large prints of the green leaves. The lush green texture sits beautifully across the canvas and emotes the beauty of God’s Own Country. A state-of-the-art piece to own, the combination of the gold border and green hue brings festive cheer to the traditional drape. Style it with a sleeveless beige or gold blouse, or you could pair it with a crop top to add a modern twist to tradition.

Oshibana

Remember the time when you preserved that rose in your diary? The collection Oshibana takes inspiration from the 16th-century art of pressing and preserving pressed flowers. The gorgeous saree adorned by actor Rima Kallingal features an array of flowers in varied shades of beige and brown. An explosion of creativity, Rima exudes grace and elegance in the pressed flower print saree enhanced with jewellery by Tanishq.

English Rose

Timeless and elegant is what best describes this drape. The magical English Rose takes centre stage in the Kasavu saree, making it a one-of-a kind vintage saree to own. The pastel hues and soft undertones of the print add grace to the six yards of sheer beauty. Model-actor Sakshi Sindwani aces the traditional yet versatile saree drape and celebrates the classic print with elan.

Chembakam

Chembakam (champa) is one of the sweet-smelling flowers. The flowers have been strategically placed across the saree to give it a colourful and fresh look. The green and orange/yellow shades celebrate the beauty of the flower. A childhood memory beautifully transformed into a creative design, Turmerik is all about celebrating the joys of bold prints and colours one kasavu saree at a time.