The Indian HandloomS and Textiles Day had us in complete awe as designers enthralled us with their brilliant use of Indian fabrics one show after another. But the final show of the day—Anita Dongre’s—won it hands down and totally had our hearts when she got craftswomen from Gujarat—the real hands behind the scenes—to walk the ramp as her showstoppers for her collection, ‘Grassroot.’ Here’s a low-down on her brilliant show…

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In an attempt to revive and preserve the precious crafts of the country like ahir embroidery from Gujarat, ikat from Karnataka and Hyderabad, gota patti from Rajasthan, the weaves of Banaras, intricate warli, the hand block prints et al, Dongre launched her sustainable line ‘Grassroot’, which manages to capture the very essence of Indian crafts and weaves in Western and fusion silhouettes.

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Drawing focus back to ikat and hand-spun fabrics, Anita played beautifully with block prints and created ensembles like asymmetric solid tunics, shirt dresses, ponchos and capes among others for everyday use.

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Another highlight of the show remained the range of clothes in earthy tones of browns and rust incorporated in summer frocks, pleated skirts, lean maxis and cut suits.

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And if all that didn’t have you going ga-ga over the show already, Anita brought the house down with the final leg of the show as she and Dia Mirza walked the ramp with traditional craftswomen and made sure they get their due spotlight (and a standing ovation from the crowds) on the runway. A perfect blend of fashion and crafts—’Grassroots’ was every inch a tribute to the traditional heritage of Indian fashion!