Finest Indian weaves on sale at two-day pop exhibition in Lucknow

The pop-up is exhibiting products and apparels from bigwigs like Shades of India, Ameya, Manish Saksena’s collection, and Sartorial by Swati, amongst other award-winning designers.

LUCKNOW It’s a ‘shop till you drop’ opportunity for believers in retail therapy and fashion connoisseurs as Lucknow-based designer Anju Narain began a two-day pop-up showcase selling apparels and linens from various Indian designers and brands on Tuesday. The exhibition -- being held at the Myra store in Mahanagar -- is attracting consumers from across the city.

The exhibition -- being held at the Myra store in Mahanagar -- is attracting consumers from across the city. (HT Photo)

“From cushion covers to sarees and lehengas, the pop-up showcase has it all. The products are in the price range of ₹1,500-to- ₹2 lakh,” said Narain, the owner of the hosting store ‘Myra’. Narain’s store primarily sells chikankari, hand embroidery, zardozi works, and all the other Awadhi handicrafts. It specialises in blending traditional styles with modern silhouettes. “Organising a pop-up was a dream which got stalled due to the pandemic,” said Narain.

The pop-up is exhibiting products and apparels from bigwigs like Shades of India, Ameya, Manish Saksena’s collection (who works directly with local artisans from across the country), and Sartorial by Swati, amongst other award-winning designers. “We are showing dresses, apparels, bed linen, home linen, table linen, and a few jewellery pieces as well,” Narain added.

Manish Saksena, a textile enthusiast, said, “A lot of times craft gets simplified, and weavers start making what the market is looking for at a certain price point. However, I prefer to go back to the original craft.” He is known for sourcing his collections from weavers from different parts of India — primarily from Maheshwar, Kota, Gadwal, and Kanchipuram.

Narain added, “After the pandemic, such collaborations are working better, and much of the purchasing has shifted online as people are not moving out of their homes to make the purchase. While this is a slow process, collaboration helps a lot of designers and entrepreneurs, especially women entrepreneurs to connect with diverse clientele and customers as we can share our databases.”