‘Paat’ from Assam silk looms makes it to the world of contemporary fashion

A contemporary fashion house is taking ‘Paat’ from the silk looms of Assam to the world. Hŕdoyh has embarked on a journey through the combination of music, drama & the everlasting pieces designed by their team to uniquely display a versatile, timeless and premium collection with a short campaign art film ‘Oboyob’.

The Goddess in Eri silk

Exclusively shot for Hŕdoyh by creators Kadambari Kashyap & Mahan J. Dutta, this campaign shows the roots and the brand’s ties with the contemporary style of design not just in terms of clothing as well as visually portraying the message with a cinematic flair.

In this experimental art campaign, Hŕdoyh decided to bring the most intimate circle of niche Assamese artists, including talents like lyricist Swaraj Priyo, songwriter/composer Shankuraj Konwar.

The film stars one of the most acclaimed talents of today, actor Lima Das, who is portrayed as a strong and confident character, a female God.

Lima plays an interesting character with a divine history in the storyline inspired by the famous biblical legend of the ‘Tower of Babel’. Her role is recognisable for the way it plays with the disruption of the humans to reveal her perspective on a world full of power-hungry humans.

The story is a representation of the pride and ego of mankind who wanted to immortalize their ‘name’ or reputation, as a symbol of ultimate power rather than God’s presence. However, God intervenes and puts limits on their pride.

God decides to create a confusion of tongues by confusing their language, a powerful reminder of how unity is indeed good to be sought, but if it fuels pride, it could lead to the doom of humanity.

The style created for this video was inspired by the urban ambience of today’s time. The characters are dressed in formal attires like classic blazers and pants crafted out of Eri and mulberry silk. With sleek clean hairstyles and minimal makeup to highlight the designs with a sophisticated air.

“Lima’s character is empowering yet driven by femininity. We customized her look with a plain white mulberry silk suit jacket with an embellished neckline to reflect the
extravagant concept the campaign required while celebrating Hŕdoyh‘s identity as a brand to revive Assam silk’s nonchalant simplicity,” says Parishmita Das, founder of Hŕdoyh.

“Our fabric is so special that the world should know about it and not in the form of Mekhela Chadar because people want clothes that are more comfortable and stylish. Hŕdoyh had to cater to a global market and the way Parishmita explained the whole concept, appealed to me and it was like telling a story through clothes, which I found very interesting,” actor Lima Das told EastMojo.

Male protagonists Kaushal Mallha and vocalist Shankuraj Konwar are both seen in clean and contemporary silhouettes made out of pure Eri silk.

Hŕdoyh continues to promote advancing and experimenting of opening new horizons with handloom textiles, art & music. A campaign in which the commitment is created from within. A message to support the art of sericulture (i.e. from farm to closet) Producing a complete wardrobe of sustainable clothes.

Sustainability meets contemporary fashion

The great thing about Muga silk, according to the Sericulture department researchers, is that Muga gives at least 85 to 86 percent of protection from UV rays like sunscreen. If one wears any natural fabric, it is less likely to irritate the skin as in the case of polyester, which some people may even be allergic to.

“Muga is slightly stiff as a material so we can make blazers and pants out of the fabric and for partywear outfits we use silk. Parishmita designs and guides us and then we sketch the designs in 3D and explain to the masters who then execute the same,” Kaushik Malha, the male protagonist in the campaign and one of the brand’s designers told EastMojo.

In order to make their line more accessible to people, the founders have two different lines of the same label – Hŕdoyh, which is the artisanal silk line and its sister brand called H2 by Hŕdoyh, which caters to the younger generation with cotton and natural fabrics used to make the apparel as silk is still not considered ideal for daily wear.

Empowering the local weaver

“We continue to advance to achieve the goal of being an ethical and sustainable brand. The silk fabrics seen in the video are sourced directly from home-based weavers of Dhemaji and Dhakuakhana District of Upper Assam,” says Parishmita.

EastMojo spoke with weavers of Chariali Chapori Atma Hohaiyok Group comprising women from Dhakuakhana in Lakhimpur district of Assam – Padma Chamuah, Chayashree Chamuah, Pori Gogoi and Meneka Patra Gogoi, which is one of the self-help groups that Hŕdoyh sources silk and raw material from.

“The women of our village is being able to progress with their handicraft work and we all try to give this as much time as possible. We do everything on our own so we do earn some profits and because there is no pressure and we do it on our own time so there is a sense of independence,” one of the weavers told EastMojo.

“It has been a great experience working with Parishmita and the more they grow, the more we all grow,” she added.

The brand takes pride in using handloom Eri, Muga and Paat silk of Axom as well as acknowledging the role of female xhippinis in the Assamese community.

Hrdoyh creates a timeless style of clothing with Axom’s most beloved treasure: silk. Offering an array of wardrobe essentials like shirts, pants, tailored power suits, dresses exclusively designed with certified handloom silk.

Also read: This husband-wife duo is empowering artisans and creating livelihood for weavers in Assam