This year, Deepavali will fall on Sunday, November 12, and for those who are celebrating, it is the time to light up their lives and homes and to celebrate their age-old traditions. Dressing up in the finest clothes is also an important aspect of this Hindu culture, to wake up early and dress up in stunning Indian attire is almost a customary tradition for each and every individual regardless of age.
An explosion of colours, designs, patterns
Deepavali this year will fall on Sunday, November 12, and for those who are celebrating, it is the time to light up their lives and homes and to celebrate their age-old traditions.
Dressing up in the finest clothes is also an important aspect of this Hindu culture, so a ‘Dazzling Deepavali’ fashion event was put together by a KL city mall, The Intermark Mall.
The high-end fashion brand ‘Kimkara’ collaborated with costume jewellery brand TC Designs to showcase their latest collections for Deepavali at this mall until November 13.
Kimkara first caught my attention when I was passing through a classy mall a few years ago. Instantaneously, I stopped to inquire who was the smiling lady with her impressive one-of-a-kind ‘Art on Silk’ fashion, where original paintings were beautifully translated onto the finest silk and then embellished with traditional Indian craftsmanship to create an explosion of colours, designs, and patterns.
The founder of this unique brand is Shika Glover, who is originally from Mumbai, India, and now resides in Kuala Lumpur. Her passion is painting and she is an impressionist.
In 2018, she launched her label ‘kimkara’ first in Dubai, followed by exhibitions in Kuala Lumpur and India.
The word ‘kimkara’ is a combination of two Sanskrit words, “kim” and “kara’. It can be interpreted as ‘Beauty from the Land of the Golden Meadows’ combining two skills, one on the canvas and the other on the loom.
At the Intermark Mall recently, Shikha Glover said, “If someone told me when I started Kimkara five years ago that I would be standing here today, welcoming all of you to this little cameo of art and fashion, it would have been a bit difficult to believe.
“I started Kimkara as an outlet for my own creative satisfaction, as something that would help me blend my love for art with my own sense of fashion. And yet here I am today, at the inauguration of the Intermark Deepawali festival, with already my fifth collection of what can only be truly called ‘Art on Silk’.”
She added that the past five years had been personally rewarding as she was able to interact with some great artists, who first and foremost are truly outstanding human beings.
Glover plays around with their paintings and creates some amazing designs that could be replicated on silk.
She creatively participated in the process of designing and embellishing some of the most alluring sarees and Indo-western dresses.
But more than anything else, she received the love and support of countless people who have made her entire journey in fashion worthwhile.
“Today, Kimkara is known as a brand that brings out one-of-a-kind fashion, unmistakably in a league of its own. There is a lot to be grateful for and people that I owe my gratitude to for the success of my fashion label,“ Glover said.
They include Aruna, who handles her production in India; the Malaysian Official Designers Association, MODA, who have taught her a great deal about the world of fashion designing; the SUTRA Foundation, led by Datuk Ramli, who has always been a pillar of support to her; the weavers, tailors, and embellishers back in India who bring each kimkara to life; and all the supportive friends in Malaysia and beyond.
Apparently, it is the art that speaks to the person who wants to buy and wear that kimkara saree or baju. The art resonates differently with people.
You do not choose a kimkara. It chooses you!
