“For somebody who is from the small town of Vandavasi; who did her schooling in a Government school; and had a lot of insecurities about speaking English; to go to the British Parliament and talk about our culture, was a surreal, happy moment,” says designer Vino Supraja. She was not too long ago honoured with the title of Global Sustainable Fashion Trailblazer award at the House of Commons, British Parliament.
The 45-year-old designer, now primarily based in Dubai, has had an extended, fragmented sojourn in the world of style. She says that it’s not one single second that led her right here. Instead it’s merely a sequence of issues that saved taking pictures at her. “I am still observing where it is going to take me,” she says.
A chunk from Vino’s Therukoothu assortment
| Photo Credit:
particular association
For a very long time, Vino dabbled in media research. “I did my architecture degree in Chennai and then I learnt animation, and I joined an electronic media course in Anna University.” After a short stint in radio, Vino shifted base to China. In China, whereas scouring web sites for potential examine or job alternatives, she chanced upon solely two websites in English. The relaxation had been all in Chinese. “One was a business school and the other, a fashion school. I somehow associated numbers with business so I opted for the other option! That’s my official entry into the world of fashion,” she recollects, laughing. Vino’s commencement assortment went on to obtain two worldwide awards, and made its look in the 2014 Shanghai Fashion Week.
Then life moved to Detroit — the place her assortment was walked in New York Fashion Week, after which Brooklyn Fashion Week the place she featured a line that got here out of the Chennai floods of 2018. It was solely 5 years in. After shifting to Dubai, the place she is predicated now, she realised “the dark side of the fashion industry”, as she calls it. “It was a moment of realisation. I wanted my brand to adopt a sustainable path. That is when we started working with the Chennimalai weavers. That slowly led me to London Fashion Week.”
The historical Tamil folks artwork type of Therukoothu has at all times impressed Vino, particularly as she hails from Purisai, one in all the important, still-thriving centres of the folks kind. “When London Fashion Week came up, I decided that this is the time I should platform Therukoothu,” says Vino. “I went to Purisai and there I met someone who I have admired from my childhood days — Purisai Kannappa Thambiran Ayya. They were very happy to collaborate. I learnt how to dress a character and do their makeup. We came to Chennai to record the audio, and showcased a one-minute presentation at the London Fashion Week before the models walked the ramp. The western world was shocked to see so many colours on one person,” recollects Vino. All these collections can be found on the web site.
Her subsequent go to was to Bhavani in Erode district to know the crafting of the famed jamakkalam material. “I could see that the craft was diminishing and many weaving looms were left unattended. Small businesses were suffering. This made me wonder what I can do with my brand.”
Stripes, stable colors, very minimal — the jammakalam’s aesthetic was decidedly world. “The stripes of the Bhavani jamakkalam are at par with the Gucci stripes! This year we launched the J collection, with bags.”
A chunk from the J assortment
| Photo Credit:
particular association
With the new, moderately heavy moniker of Global Sustainable Fashion Trailblazer, the tasks enhance. While sustainability has been a buzz phrase in the style trade for the final 5 years, it’s now being overtaken by AI, says Vino. “Now, the dialogue is around incorporating AI in fashion and the chatter about sustainability is taking a backseat. Ultimately, moving to sustainability should be taken as a responsibility by the big brands first.”
Vino is now engaged on reimagining the Bhavani jamakkalam to make merchandise aside from luggage. “I want to give prompts to the world, which anyone can adopt and enhance their creativity with.” With materials and methods that deserve world consideration, Vino crusades to deliver the world to South India, one jamakkalam at a time.
Vino Supraja
Published – May 08, 2025 03:23 pm IST
