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Towel fashion: Accessories made from Bangladeshi gamcha
Tri Paul from Kolkata uses traditional Bangladeshi gamcha to create trendy scarves, notebooks, neckpieces, hair ties and apparel
Ever thought a cotton towel could be worn as a dress, a hair tie or a neckpiece? Tri Paul, a 31-year-old Odissi dancer from Kolkata, did.
Paul travels the world for her performances and brings back gifts for friends and family. “I’m always looking to get them something that is unique to that place,” she says. “I visit Bangladesh often and I am mesmerised by their gamcha or towel cloth, which is of good quality material and is available in a variety of colours.”
In April last year, Paul first gifted a gamcha to a male friend, who wore it stylishly over his cotton kurta. “That’s when I got the idea to make things out of it. I covered my dance diary with gamcha, which caught an NGO’s attention.” Paul ended up making 60 pieces of the notebooks last August.
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In April this year, she formally launched her line, Tri, on Facebook. It includes knee-length dresses, maxi dresses, tops, blouses, t-shirts, shirts, hair accessories, neckpieces, scarves, bags and notebooks. “I engage local tailors to make these items,” she says. A kaftan dress is priced at Rs 700, a notebook for Rs 250 and a hairband for Rs 120. Prices can vary according to the measurement and customisation required.
The USP of her line, Paul says, is the traditional Bengali touch that comes from the gamcha cloth. Apart from college-going teenagers, Paul’s customer base includes regional celebrities and foreigners.
Kolkata-based Rajashree Mukhopadhyay, 45, an art historian, bought a kaftan kurti and a neckpiece from Tri. “Her products are unique and I love how gamcha is an integral part of all her designs. I collect alternative jewelry and this neckpiece is one of my favourites,” she says.
What: Notebooks, scarves, hair accessories and apparel made out of Bangladeshi gamcha
Where: Tri on Facebook; email designer.tripaul@gmail.com
Cost: Prices start at Rs 120 for a hairband; a kaftan dress costs Rs 700
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