The Muse Is Kota Doria

The finesse of award-winning Rajasthani weaver Yunus Bhai Kota has been harnessed to create kota doria, a delicate, hand-woven textile native to Rajasthan, for a collection

- MANU VIPIN

IN an inspired collaboration that bridges centuries of craftsmanship and contemporary Indian design, fashion designer Rehane is unveiling a collection steeped in translucent grace. This time, the muse is kota doria—a delicate, handwoven textile native to Rajasthan, brought to life with the finesse of award-winning weaver Yunus Bhai Kota. The upcoming exhibition promises not just textiles, but tales of revival, of dreams woven into warp and weft, and of couture deeply rooted in culture.

"Actually, I've been dying to do kota for the longest time," Rehane begins, animated and lyrical, her voice echoing her unmistakable aesthetic—romantic, nostalgic, unafraid. "I had done my first kota weave almost 10 years ago. It was floral and so delicate, so beautiful... There's a picture of me wearing it somewhere. But before I could say Jack Robinson, it was everywhere. Plagiarised."

That moment, frustrating yet revealing, became the genesis of her return to kota. "It was that same weaver, Yunus Bhai, who I've decided to work with again. This time, he's doing mostly his own designs and maybe just a couple of mine—not too many," she adds, with her characteristic generosity of spirit.