Kanakavalli’s January pick for The Beautiful Drape is a gorgeous kanjivaram from the design-led Vault collective of classic format heirloom saris that are exclusive to the brand. Its beauty lies in the simplicity of its embellishment - executed through a laborious weave technique - and its statement colour play.
The kanjivaram is woven on an adai loom, entirely by hand, without the use of a jacquard machine. Malli moggu (jasmine buds) and raindrop motifs — which are mirror images of each other — dot the body of the kanjivaram. The borders feature vanki (inverted v-shaped patterns inspired by the South Indian armlet), dotted lines like pearls or muthu seeru and triangular bhugodi patterns in gold zari and coloured thread. The pallu is known as a seeru mundi or seeru pallu because it is adorned with delicate muthu seeru lines in zari and thread. The subtle hints of colour on the borders and pallu stand out beautifully against the monotone drape.
This kanjivaram, available in multiple colourways, features zari with a composition of 0.3% gold and 40% silver.