The Making of a Dream: Yarn Culture’s Ivory Edit

Onam has always been close to my heart. Reminds me of everything beautiful and nostalgic - flowers and pookkalams everywhere, the smell of fresh banana chips and sharkara varatti (jaggery coated banana chips), and families coming together in laughter over a long sadya. At the heart of it all are Malayali women glowing in their ivory and gold kasavu sarees. This year, I wanted Yarn Culture’s Ivory Edit to bring that feeling alive. The market this year is flooded with mul sarees from West Bengal and while we all love them, my heart wanted to create something more this year in the traditional ivory and gold kasavu sarees and reimagine them.

Sruthi:

Now we all love lotuses, don’t we? And there’s no denying it - pink and ivory together is a match made in heaven. But instead of leaving it on a plain fabric like we usually see, I kept thinking… what if we imagined something even more timeless? Something that felt like a golden classic yet had a soft, refreshing twist.

That’s when the idea struck to bring together two things I’ve always loved deeply. The kattam checks from Tamil Nadu with the evergreen peacock motif, so structured and grounding, and the lotus, a flower that means so much to Kerala.

The kattam always reminds me of something vintage and heirloom-worthy. And then there’s the lotus - soft, calm, and full of life, blooming so gracefully even from still waters. Combining them felt natural, almost like they were meant to meet on this saree.

This ivory and gold drape, sprinkled with tiny pink lotuses embroidered all over, has a quiet pop of colour, keeping it subtle yet festive.. It’s one of those pieces I hold close to my heart. The kind you can wear for Onam and on many more occasions. Sruthi, with her quiet charm and elegance, brings this saree alive so effortlessly. Like her, it’s understated yet captivating.

Anjana:

I’ve always loved how tiny flowers like pavizhamalli (parijat), mullapoo (jasmine) and kanakambaram quietly brighten up Kerala’s mornings.. They don’t try too hard, yet they have this quiet way of standing out delicately, full of life, and so calming and soothing to look at..

Drew inspiration from these tiny flowers and reimagined them gently scattered along the border of a simple Kerala cotton kasavu saree, in soft pinks and purples. Just enough to bring a little colour without taking away the calm of the ivory and gold. Small blooms coming together to make something quietly beautiful. This saree is all about that..

Anjana, with her calm and subtle presence, felt like the perfect person to bring this saree to life. She carries it just like she carries herself - soft, graceful, and quietly beautiful.

Geethi:

I don't think there will be a Malayali who has not seen Malarikkal water lily fields, at least in pictures. Endless stretches of water lilies in full bloom, their hot pink petals standing out so beautifully against the calm waters. This was what I wanted to bring to another Kerala cotton kasavu saree with lotuses.

The soft ivory and gold base felt like the perfect canvas for the bright pink blooms to come alive. It feels like Kerala in full bloom. A little festive, a little rooted, and something you can hold close long after Onam is over. Seeing Geethi wear this saree with her quiet poise and elegance makes it feel even more alive.

Deepa:

This one started with the idea of reimagining the humble hibiscus, a flower we see so often, yet never get tired of.. They feel bold yet so soft at the same time, and they’re everywhere in Kerala, be it in gardens or by temple walls or in our little backyards where they bloom quietly.

I wanted to take the familiar hibiscus and reimagine it slightly differently, and on a Kerala kasavu in a way that felt refreshing. Instead of the usual bright reds, we worked with shades of pink and purple, a rare colour palette for this flower, but one that felt gentle and festive at the same time. Tried a different blouse pattern with incomplete flower blooms in random sizes..

When Deepa wore this saree, it felt perfect. She has this cheerful, effortless energy that matches the spirit of the hibiscus. Minimal yet bold, rooted yet playful, that’s what this saree feels like to me.

Sujina, Apurva and Chinnu:

Ganga-Yamuna sarees have always fascinated me. There is something so quietly beautiful about the way two colours meet on either side of the drape. They are complete opposites, but together they create a balance that feels effortless, like two rivers flowing side by side without ever losing their own identity..

For this Onam, I wanted to bring that feeling alive in soft Madurai sungudi cottons. The ivory checks felt like the perfect calm base for the colours to play on. On one saree, the borders come alive in purple pink and blue. On another, it is a cheerful green and purple pink. And then there is the turquoise blue and red, a combination that somehow feels both striking and soothing at the same time.

Watching Sujina drape the purple pink and blue felt like seeing grace itself. She moves with such poise and the saree seemed to flow with her.

Apurva, in the green and purple pink, brought so much brightness and joy that the colours seemed to smile with her.

And Chinnu, with her calm and cheerful energy, carried the turquoise and red in a way that felt close to my heart. That saree is special to me because it was part of our collection last year and became a favourite. Seeing it come back this year in reverse combination feels like meeting an old friend.

 

This shoot will always remain closest to my heart. More than a shoot, it felt like a day spent with women I admire, women who have been part of Yarn Culture’s journey in their quiet ways. There was no makeup, no mood boards, no fancy studios, no perfection to chase. Just real moments, real smiles, and sarees draped the way they wanted to wear them.

As I watched them, I kept thinking, isn't this what sarees are truly about? Sarees belong to everyday women. Women who tie their hair up and run about getting things done. Women of every age, shape, and colour who make even the simplest drape look like poetry.

That has always been at the heart of Yarn Culture, to make sarees feel relatable and a part of real life. Not intimidating, not distant. This was my dream to bring the women who inspire me in front of the camera and capture them as raw as possible. And watching how beautifully they carried each piece felt like that dream finally coming true.

Thanks from the bottom of my heart to Sreejith (wande_r_lust) for capturing all of us so naturally and to another dear friend, Deepa, for opening doors to her beautiful homestay, Govindamangalam at Fort Kochi. 

So, this here is my set of Onakkodi for you all, created exclusively for Yarn Culture, together with a lot of other curated sarees in the Ivory Edit, and I hope when you see them, you will feel the same warmth and joy that we felt while creating and capturing them. This collection carries a piece of all of us, and I can’t wait for it to find its way into your Onam memories too :)

Love, 

Sayujya