A traditional makeover

CHENNAI: There are instances aplenty of new residents of Chennai embracing the Kanchivaram silk saree culture that the city is hailed as the capital of. And then, there is the story of RmKV wedding silks that entered the saree culture in the city in a big way only in 2004, and then changed the face of the prevalent saree tradition of the city.Think of the immensely popular Jyothika Saree with 50,000 colours, the reversible saree range, or the Cinderella pattu pavadais that gave the traditional two-piece a makeover and you’ll know RmKV’s middle name has been innovation. There’s definitely more to a silk saree today than its bavanji borders and ganga-jamuna colour patterns.“Adapting to the changing choice patterns of the new generation has been the store’s USP,” says K Sivakumar, partner of the 87-year-old saree store. Research and market understanding have been the backbone of the store, which entered Chennai 80 years after it started in Tirunelveli, and instantly became a brand name to reckon with. “Though we enjoyed a big presence in Tirunelveli, we knew we had to come to Chennai if we wanted a pan-India presence. But Chennai was already replete with several traditional saree stores lining T Nagar. Our differentiator had to be our product. So we set up a factory in Arani, established an R&D team and then began innovating with fabric and designs. This helped us cash in on those customers who were looking for something new in the saree,” he says, noting that people’s preferences over time in a saree have changed drastically.One such a change in people was the demand felt for lighter, albeit silk, sarees. “We introduced the Linolight type of sarees that are so light that people wouldn’t realise they were wearing a silk saree. But these are also Kanjivaram sarees only,” he explains, adding that this cosmopolitan market is looking for more modern designs in the six-yard wonder. The Deepavali season this year too will see another innovative product (to be patented) based on a fusion of colours, he adds.Addressing the people’s need to wear a unique saree, the store serves as a mass boutique in which designs are never replicated and each saree carries an independent identity, he assures. Also, keeping in line with the new mall culture, RmKV will soon launch its second store in the city in a mall in Vadapalani in May 2012, he adds.