At the multi-label boutique, AltaRasa
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Lopamudra Dutta does not recall buying clothes as a child. Her Bengali grandmother stitched clothes for her and her cousins during Durga Puja. “None of us had the same clothes. It was always very different,” says Lopamudra, adding, “I saw my grandmothers in cotton saris, chiffons and Kanjeevarams. That shaped what I thought fashion was.”Textiles from India, especially Bengal, have played a huge role in Lopamudra starting her new venture, AltaRasa, a multi-label boutique and website that features creations by South Asian and South East Asian designers.After a long stint with a healthcare company, Lopamudra felt saturated and wanted to dive into what she has always been passionate about — textile and craftsmanship. “I felt that as a consumer there was a longing to discover Indian designs that are more than just occasion wear. When we think of fashion its Euro-centric or inspired by the US. A shift is happening now and that makes me happy,” she says.Lopamudra dedicated three years to meet weavers and understand their process. “There were lots of brands that I discovered during my travels through Bali and Jakarta,” she says, adding that the process of curation came next. “I never asked designers to dilute their language. I curate with those whose philosophy aligns with the DNA of AltaRasa. Each designer carries their cultural and aesthetic identity.”
