{ girl power: aishwarya from banna creations, bangalore }

let me begin by saying that i think indian women look spectacular in sarees. it’s not something we may wear every day, but when a wedding or festival is upon us, the whole process of getting ready and set in a saree is out of the world. 

in today’s edition of girl power, we are featuring a powerhouse of talent, someone who has gone out of her way to protect and encourage traditional handicraft work, who supports the livelihood of hundreds of artisans by giving them a platform to preserve their craft.

today, we are featuring the inspiring aishwarya suresh from banna creations, a popular design house that retails in handcrafted sarees from around the country.

who is she?

 

an electrical engineer by profession, a sales & marketing whiz by experience and a designer by passion. this is aishwarya in a nutshell. she believes every product from the house of banna (her 3.5 year old designer label) tells a story about traditions, passion and the treasure trove of fabrics available in india. we see a lot of designers popping up all over the place today, but people who work tirelessly to preserve a bit of culture rank really high on our list.

 

from the new collection of banna creations

she has never really been influenced by brands or trends, but tries to create her own fusion style. on a regular work day, you’ll find her lounging in a tee and comfy jeans, glammed up with a pair of intricate silver jhumkas! 

her biggest inspiration has been the artisans themselves and the long hours they put in to create something absolutely gorgeous. ask her what her favourite sarees are and she excitedly says, “rich tussar silks and ilkal silk sarees!”

what does she do?

 

i absolutely adore her company’s tagline “handcraft your style”!

from the new collection of banna creations

this i think, is such a pertinent statement, because most girls i see today seem to be clones of each other. the same clothes, shoes, bags, brands, makeup and what not. there is no individuality or personality that shines through. with her brand banna, aishwarya aims to break this trend and show indian women that it’s okay to be “yourself”, it’s okay to wear a beautiful saree with a sexy blouse instead of always showing up in the same LBD. 

from the new collection of banna creations

when asked about how it feels to be her own boss, she says, being “my own” boss means that i am responsible for the growth of my store and for the artisans who work with me.”

 

from the new collection of banna creations

her advice to all you ladies is, “dream big, live your dream, constantly aspire for perfection and don’t stop till you have achieved all of this.”

she also divulged some of her favourite shopping destinations in bangalore, “the by-lanes of commercial street for silver jewellery, the interior roads behind russel market like seppings road, where you get tons of accessories like ribbons, lace and sequins. it is truly a place to explore and discover!”

you can visit banna’s official website or their facebook page to have a look at their complete collection.