RUNWAY STORIES: Tradition meets the contemporary

Tasta by Deepak Mane will present unique collections with a traditional Maharashtrian touch

Tasta, owned by Deepak Mane, is a four-year-old Pune-based design studio. Mane speaks about his collections that will be launched at Sakal Times Couture Week on day 1 on May 17. “The designs that I will be launching at the event will have unique patterns with a traditional Maharashtrian touch. I will be presenting the nauvari (nine yard) saree in different and unique styles. The sarees have been contemporised and people will get to see a new trend altogether. There are also attires worn by men like dhoti and kurta which have been contemporised. Along with that, we have designs inspired by Jauguar and Rangerover models for both men and women,” he says. 

The inspiration behind using nauvari sarees comes from the feedback Mane received in 2018 in London for the show Shivajatasya where he presented his work. “Last year, we presented all the designs based in the era of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. When we presented a designer velvet nauvari saree, we received a very good response from people in London. We decided to come up with something on similar lines but with contemporary patterns. Everyone wears nauvari in kashta style, but the new patterns will change the way we look at these sarees and how we wear them. The reason behind coming up with Maharashtrian collections is because Punekars of every age group will be able to relate to it,” he says.

“We do customisation of attires by taking into consideration the client’s age, skin tone, preferences, and physique. These customisation is available in every price range so that these designs can be pocket friendly for everyone,” he informs. 

Fashion is an ever-changing and evolving field. “Earlier Mumbai and Delhi used to be the hubs for shopping for any festivals or occasions, but now it has changed. Pune too has come a long way,” says Mane.

Another trend he talks about is that earlier, people would buy new attires for birthdays, festivals or other occasions but now fashion is involved in every event and is meant for every age group including kids and their preferences are changing too. “People want to experiment and try out new things, at the same time be comfortable, whatever be the occasion,” he points out. 

The traditional style of shopping is different from that of designer store shopping, Mane says. “In the past, a certain set of people would buy designer clothes and that too for functions. But I am happy that this is changing and people are now open to trying new things, occasion or no occasion. Even the designer clothes have become pocket-friendly for the regular customers. The difference in price ranges may be reflected in designs and fabrics but not in quality,” he says. 

As for the upcoming fashion event, he says, “Sakal Times Couture Weekend is one platform that would help designers like me to easily connect with local customers. It will help us to promote our brand and designs and also help us in understanding the preferences of potential customers based on the feedback we receive.” 

GET READY FOR THE ACTION
Sakal Times Couture Weekend Season 1, the three-day fashion show, is taking place at Amanora The Fern Hotels & Clubs, Hadapsar. Here’s the schedule... 
MAY 17, 2019
7.30 pm: Tasta
8.15 pm: Launch of Sakal Platinum Club
9.00 pm: Babita Malkani

MAY 18, 2019
7.30 pm: Ronak Sayyed 
8.15 pm: Tasta (Men’s Wear)
9.00 pm: Amar Ghanasingh - Jewelley show

MAY 19, 2019
7.30 pm: Naksh 
8.15 pm: Neeru’s 
9.00 pm: Grand Finale - Ritu Kumar