Buddhi Batik – a rising star in art galaxy

19 Jun '08

3 min read

Batik, an art form that combines the illustrative skills of an artist with a wax-resist dyeing technique that is applied to natural fabric - cotton, silk, linen, and rayon, has created a niche for itself in the international market.

Buddhi Batiks, a well known company in this field, is presently experiencing a huge demand in India.

Ms Darshi Keerthisena, Director/Head of Design, Buddhi Batiks informed Fibre2fashion, “At Buddhi Batiks we strive to combine the artistry of the traditional Sri Lankan batik craft with modern design, giving new life to a cottage industry. We produce apparel and accessories that cater to contemporary fashion trends while still remaining true to our Sri Lankan roots. We use innovative fabrics not traditionally used in Sri Lankan batik such as silk satin, chiffon, and georgette, which have captivated the fashion market, especially when they are presented in the form of our famous designer saris.”

Divulging about the production line Ms Keerthisena, stated, “We produce a full range of contemporary women's wear: dresses, tops, skirts, knitwear, beachwear, and underwear. We are working on a range of swimsuits, which together with the accompanying batik cover-ups (kaftans, robes, beach wraps, skirts) and accessories, will form a complete range of swimwear aimed at the EU and US market. We also produce a complete range of men's wear: shirts (both cotton and silk), sarongs, Blazers, full suits, denim jeans, T-shirts, and hoodies.”

“Sri Lankan sari and talent, both are unique and Indian customers have already accepted that; now I want to promote this exclusiveness in the global market as well,” said Ms Darshi proudly.

The Buddhi Batiks atelier was founded in 1970 and is located in the village of Koswadiya. The workshop employs primarily women from within the village. Further the Ms Keerthisena reiterated, “We have a special quality control unit that supervises the production process - cloth waxing, colour blending, dyeing, and tailoring - to ensure the consistency and high quality of the product.”

“While our commercial success has provided a tremendous impetus to the company, we have reinvested most of our profits to upgrade the batik workshop, introduce eco-friendly methods, and increase the salaries of the batik artisans who are cajoled into producing work of a higher quality, both in aesthetic terms and in final finish. Most importantly, we have been experimenting, pushing the limits of the batik craft still further with new styles, silhouettes, and even more fabrics—velvet, lurex, denim—all with a view to reaching a level of maturity in product range and quality that will enable the Buddhi Batiks vision of becoming a complete international brand.”

Buddhi Batiks has participated in a fashion show which held in Bangalore, alongside some of the stars of the Indian fashion industry — Tarun Tahiliani, Rohit Bal, Krishna Mehta, Abraham and Thakore, J J Valaya, and many others. The Group also retails in Indian stores in Chennai and Bangalore.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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