Shooting against simple and austere natural backdrops, Verve highlights the creations of designers with strong ties to South India, in a fashion series that focuses on the region’s particular environmental consciousness and resonates in the face of the stripped-down future earth we are confronting. “In Kerala handloom, nature forms a part of the processes, which each have relationships with certain times of the day.” -Sreejith Jeevan, Rouka; Kochi “Our hand-painted technique was brought to us by a French designer in the early ’80s. Today, we have many local artisans who are experts in this form of textile design.” -Anna Palashevskaya, Tobetwo; Puducherry “The whole ethos of Biskit is to break the psychological barrier of defining the gender of a piece of fabric, thereby encouraging people to buy one piece of clothing that can be worn and shared by everyone.” -Harsha and Shruti Biswajit, Biskit; Chennai “We source our fabric directly from local weavers, we indulge in everyday conversations with them, we share our profits, and we become a part of their lives. Nothing comes close to this sense of belonging, which seamlessly translates into our art as well. -Karunya Rajan, Kalki; Mettupalayam “Our initiatives are primarily focused on developing handwoven kasavu saris that empower local weavers and on using fabrics that otherwise end up in landfills for surface ornamentation, in order to create the #EveryInchOfFabric range of saris.” -Sreejith Jeevan, Rouka; Kochi 2: Double-sided jacquard knit scarf made from 100-per-cent organic and regular cotton, 100-per-cent organic cotton jacquard knit sweater with neuron artwork, both from @spacebiskit 4: Hand-painted sari in natural dyes, from @tobetwo.auroville 6: Tissue sari, from @roukabysreejithjeevan 7: Tissue sari with appliqued hibiscus motifs, from @roukabysreejithjeevan; naturally dyed organic cotton fabrics, by @_naushadali_ 8: Handwoven and hand-embroidered shirt, from @kalkico More at the link in bio. Text: Shirin Mehta Interviews and styling: @pandey.akanksha Photographs: @carlmeer __ #HeritageFashion #SustainableBrand #IndianCouture