BHUBANESWAR: Odia designers have generally underperformed at national and international fashion shows and other such expos. The reason for this may be the inherent tendency of these designers to look outside the state for inspiration, feels Reemly Mohanty, a state designer.
Born to Ranjan and Sagarika Mohanty October 18, 1988, Reemly was always inclined towards arts in general and designing in particular since her childhood. Her interest made her pursue painting, designing, and colouring.
As a teenager, she was always quite specific about wearing her own designs and instructed dress makers accordingly. In 2011, she started her own workshop with 3 machines and started making Sambalpuri Anarkalis which was greatly received by her clients. The response was so huge that within a week she had orders for 50 Sambalpuri Anarkalis. Currently she is the owner of Reemly’s Design studio in Bhubaneswar.
According to Reemly, the people of Odisha have developed a sense of fashion in the last three to four years. “The main reason for Odia designers losing out at national platforms is that the Odia people are more eager about foreign designers or of other states. This is why Odia designers don’t get any scope on national and international platforms.
Her last fashion show at Bombay Times Fashion Week in St. Regis Hotel, Mumbai, was a real hit with the masses. In fact, she was invited by the Bombay Times Fashion Week.
Reemly showcased her collection ‘Kalavati-Treasures of Odisha’, dedicated to the exquisite art forms of Odisha such as Pattachitra, Pipili appliqué work, Dongria art and Ikat. These art forms are demonstrated with rich multi-coloured application, creative motifs and designs in ensembles for both men and women.
After seeing her work with Pattachitra and handlooms, Lovely Professional University, Punjab, invited her to host a workshop on Pattachitra. She conducted another workshop on Pattachitra on the occasion of Project Eve at Esplanade mall recently. She conducted a workshop on the same subject at Uchaan Art Gallery, New Delhi too. Her workshops are very popular and aspirants wait eagerly to be a part of it.
Besides Pattachitra, she also crafts glass paintings, bottle design and paintings and 3D Mural paintings. She taught these genres of designing to both kids and adults at the recently concluded entrepreneur fair She Rocks. Her dedication as a designer has won her invites as a guest speaker for design at XIMB Annual Business Summit and to MSME Entrepreneur meet during International Trade Fair. She has been working closely with women of all ages to keep alive Odia handicrafts, fabric and designs.