Love affair with block prints

Saloni Panwar, the lady behind the highly popular brand Gulabo, talks about the evergreen quality of her designs

Known for revitalising handcrafted Jaipur block prints with fresh silhouettes, Gulabo Jaipur has come a long way since its humble beginning from a small shop with four tailors to dressing A-listers like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Karisma Kapoor, and Vidya Balan, to name a few.

The label which regularly puts out one capsule collection after another has come out with its latest collection ‘Mahie’, which is a set of quilted jackets, shirt and pants with its ubiquitous Jaipur prints in pastel shades.

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“It took us just a week to turn out the collection. The conceptual work had started before the lockdown, and later I got pregnant and then gave birth. So, finally, now the collection is out,” says Gulabo’s founder Saloni Panwar. With no formal training in fashion designing, Saloni’s breezy take on evergreen salwar suits, anarkalis, pant sets, floor-length dresses have attracted clientele not only within India, but also abroad.

Six years ago, when she decided to launch her brand, she was met with stiff opposition from her conservative joint family who felt that starting her business would shift her focus from marriage.

“It was my grandmother who supported me and convinced my family to let me give the business a try. I never really started out thinking, ‘I would start a boutique one day’. I’m thankful to my husband Salman who encouraged me to give it shot,” recalls Saloni who is a fine arts graduate.

Today, her father is one of her proudest supporters and eagerly keeps track of her ever-growing followers on Instagram. Thanks to her social media savvy team, Instagram proved to be a very big booster to her brand which quickly became a household name as every second Indian model on the ’gram wore something off of Gulabo’s racks.

“I think what people like is the evergreen nature of the outfits. You can wear them to lunches with friends, casual outings and even evening affairs with clever styling. One thing I have been consistent about is staying true to the Jaipur prints, which are something I have loved as a child. Some years on, a lot of people advised me to experiment with different prints, but I remained steadfast. I think that’s what worked to my advantage,” observes Saloni.

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