Ikat cotton is immediately identifiable by how the edges of the patterns softly blur and how the colours in the fabric smoothly blend into each other. The fabric has its origins in many different parts of the world — South East Asia, Central Asia, South America and West Africa.
Continue reading The Material World: Ikat Cotton
It is well-established that certain beads, certain substances that are considered sacred in Indic society are also said to have myriad benefits and contribute to the welfare and well being of those who use them. Tulasi beads are a definite example of this.
Continue reading What’s in The Clothes: Tulasi Beads
In many ways, we have built our brand on the age-old maxim that for a product, for a business to last, it has to be inherently sustainable — the very essence and core innately in harmony with context and environment. We have worked to build that foundation not only with every step of our production process, but also with respect to the values we carry ourselves forward with.
Continue reading Sustainability and AdiValka
Times of pandemics often cause widespread panic and worry (and understandably so). As a team, we collectively wanted to not only check in with the adifam — global as we are — but also take a minute to reiterate a few ways we can all take care and keep safe during this time. While these periods are a bit worrisome, they are also good times to build in sustainable health habits and practices that improve your overall well being.
Continue reading Taking Care in These Times — Sustainable Health Habits
As a brand, our consistent inspiration is the rich Indic heritage that forms the cultural bed of the traditions we live our lives by today — be that the intricate history of textiles and fabrics, yoga, classical dance, Ayurveda or sustainability. Sustainable living has been a part of the fabric of Indic tradition since it’s dawn, and it continues to inspirit life today — when our grandmothers save the starchy water from cooked rice to water the plants or starch their clothes, or repurpose old garments and sarees in new, creative ways.
Continue reading Sustainability in Indic Fashion
Featuring dancers Bhaskari & Rachna
This February, at AdiValka we celebrated and honoured a day that holds incredible importance to yogis — Mahashivarathri. This day holds utmost important to Shiva, the Adiyogi — the source from which all yoga originated.
Continue reading Adiyogi & AdiValka — The Significance of Mahashivarathri
Considered one of the purest substances, #sandalwood, one of the most sacred herbs of #Ayurveda, has long been used for its medicinal properties. It’s known in Sanskrit as Chandana, and is primarily indigenous to #India and Asia. Sandalwood is used medicinally in oil form to treat a variety of ailments — from the common cold, to digestive problems, and even mental disorders. The scent of Sandalwood is also particularly aromatic, and is said to be incredibly beneficial as well.
Continue reading What’s in The Clothes: Sandalwood Beads
AdiValka’s mission from day one has been to create fashion with a purpose, while bringing Indic styles and traditions into the contemporary idiom of fashion. Every aspect of the garments we produce is aimed towards this goal — be it the fabrics we use, the cuts of our clothes — every detail (none too small) have been carefully crafted. So with our tassels on our dhoti pants.
Continue reading What’s in The Clothes: AdiValka’s Tassels
AdiValka’s collections always stem from a moment of deep inspiration. With our first ever collection, the ikat collection, we were enamoured with the Indian tradition of weaving and so used that to create the mini-collection. With Embracing Ogha, our first true collection, we decided to honour the concept that inspired our brand itself, uninterrupted Indic traditions. And with Kalakrama, we take the next step in our journey.
AdiValka honours the generational knowledge, connection and effort that form the bedrock of our uninterrupted traditions with our new collection, Kalakrama: The Rule of Art Sanctioned By Tradition, formed at the confluence of the age-old traditions of kalamkari fabrics and handloom fabrics honouring the skill of textile artists. Each design represents AdiValka’s mission of bringing together the Indic traditions of fabric making and clothing, with the contemporary idiom of fashion. Our use of the kalamkari fabrics and motifs in our garments symbolises the interconnectedness of the rich Indic heritage that inspires us everyday.
Kalamkari, known in Sanskrit as Pattachitra (patta = cloth, chitra = picture) prior to medieval Islamic rule in India, is an art form still found in Orissa and other parts of India. Under medieval Islamic rule, the practice was popularized under the name Kalamkari meaning drawing with a pen (kalam = pen, kari = craftmanship) under the patronage of the Golconda sultanate.
The art of Kalamkari has evolved over the last 3000 years to form what today is a meticulous and adaptable process that allows it to be accessible to a wider range of consumers. An eco-friendly art form, only natural dyes such as roots, berries, bark, leaves, wood, fungi, and lichens are used in the production process. The artisans we work with to source our fabrics hand-block printed each and every detail and motif, creating a final product we fell in love with — only the best for our customers.
In Indic tradition, people have always been connected with nature, and have used it as a source of inspiration for myriad art forms (Kalamkari included). Artisans have also been inspired by deities and scenes taken from the Hindu epics — Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Purana and the mythological classics — thereby immortalizing in art the principles and values that governed their everyday lives.
The next step in our journey at AdiValka, Kalakrama represents our effort to bring forth a product that not only fulfils the promise we make of garments that are adaptable, comfortable and protective, but also continue to link you directly to the vast, rich heritage of Indic fabric making, fashion design and the very essence of Indic culture itself.
The presence of mind, intention, and commitment that is brought to any and all endeavours is one of the key defining characteristics of Indic culture. This is especially the case with the development of kalaripayattu, yoga and traditional dance forms from the region. While each of these art forms and practices are different from each other, they still maintain the common thread of movement with intention. The lessons we learn from these practices form the very heart of India.
It is then no surprise that AdiValka’s products draw inspiration from these uninterrupted traditions and practices. When we set out, we aimed to create versatile, contemporary products that would enhance one’s practice, and complement their efforts. Our pants serve to allow for all levels and age groups of practitioners to experience restriction-free movement, so that their practice is the most centered and productive it can be.
When we developed our designs and worked on our brand, our CEO & designer, Manisha Naidu, studied the garments that the first practitioners of these art forms wore. She researched how the garment fell, where it sat on one’s body, how the fabric was draped. She studied this firsthand from the rich heritage of Indian temples.
Many of these temples carry stories of the Ramayana, Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita. They also demonstrate the various ways in which people from generations and centuries past dressed and wore dhotis and related garments — the inspiration for AdiValka’s signature dhoti pants.
Many temples show dancers and yogis in complex splits, difficult postures, and demonstrating not only clear mastery of their chosen practice, but also the ability of the garment to support any kind of movement.
AdiValka stems from a deep respect for this knowledge. One of our main missions is to help bring these styles into the contemporary idiom of fashion. In defining the new Indian haute couture, we aim to enhance and promote the ideas of versatility and functionality in fashion as we move forward in our journey.
ˇyoga citta vritti nirodhah
While yoga as a discipline has overtaken and changed the world with it’s grounding nature, simplicity of purpose, and versatility of form, in our story yoga is one of, if not the primary reason AdiValka came into being.
AdiValka was born of the void Manisha Naidu, designer and CEO, felt of comfortable, functional clothes that would allow yogis (as well as dancers, martial art practitioners & students of these disciplines alike) to experience unrestrictive movement in clothes that were not body-hugging and tight fitted. Manisha found her inspiration for what would become AdiValka’s signature dhoti pants in the kachche dhoti (more about this in our previous blog post), and began the process of tailoring AdiValka’s signature dhoti pants to complement and enhance one’s yoga practice.
AdiValka’s signature dhoti pants are the epitome of functional comfort wear that embody the concept of “fashion with a purpose.” Every aspect of the pants were researched and developed for its utility while maintaining the aesthetic of the contemporary idiom of fashion.
The cut of our dhoti pants allows one a wide range of motion and complete freedom of movement. Add to this, we only use only the best fabric — (ethically sourced) 100% cotton — to create our garments. Every aspect of our process is approached with the same tapas that yoga teaches and encourages in its students.
We embellish our garments with natural healing elements with the explicit purpose of protecting the wearer and encouraging positive energy in their environment. These elements are said to not only promote spiritual connectivity and radiate positive energy, but also actively combat negative influences and help enhance your meditative practices. Most importantly, we constantly innovate to make sure our pants are providing what any yogi (of any level) would need.
In our latest collection, Kalakrama: The Rule of Art Sanctioned by Tradition, we’ve embellished our garments with rudraksha, sandalwood, and tulasi bead tassels and buttons. The aroma of sandalwood helps the mind to unwind and increases spiritual energy. The tulasi beads radiate positive energy and help center the mind.
Kalakrama — The Rule of Art Sanction by Tradition
yoga citta vritti nirodhah — yoga frees you from the drama, the tragedy, the saga your mind creates, and allows you to experience your true self.
AdiValka’s products free you from the world of synthetic, tight-fitted, restrictive garments. Our products are an experience of a rare luxury — of warm, flowing and comfortable clothing, that aid you in your journey to connect with your truth.
Our brand, AdiValka, has a deep connection with, and roots within, Indian apparel and designs and is grounded in the Indic philosophies of versatility and adaptability. When we began, our desire to create contemporary products inspired by the history of Indian textiles, art and culture, ayurveda, yoga and Indic traditions was a driving force. Through our journey, we now find ourselves well on our way to creating our own version of Indian haute couture.
AdiValka’s designs are inspired by the flowing lines of Indic cuts that have withstood the tests of time and tradition. And, what’s more, they are meticulously crafted to not only meet, but surpass the exacting standards and quality that defines brands like AdiValka in today’s market. Our products are designed to carry the contemporary idiom of fashion while incorporating features that lend themselves to functionality and protection afforded both by the fabric and form of the garment.
Prior to our official launch, AdiValka’s designer and CEO, Manisha Naidu, thoroughly studied the history of Indian textiles and fashion so she could come up with the perfect patterns that would allow people absolute flexibility and functionality, and a comfortable and unrestrictive clothing experience. The initial need that sparked the flame that today is AdiValka, was the vacuum she felt in the market specifically for activewear that allowed one to practice yoga (no matter what the level). This need was what created AdiValka’s signature dhoti pants.
AdiValka’s dhoti pants are based off the kachche dhoti. All texts and pictures indicated that the garment worn by yogis (especially female yogis) during long practice sessions was, at its core, a piece of cloth wrapped around one’s waist that was draped such that the wearer had completely free and flexible movement.
Depending on occasion, there were variations in the length, style and type of drape that people used. Per our research, the kachche dhoti style was, and continues to be, the most commonly used garment for what can today be termed activewear – think yoga, dance, kalaripayattu, and what have you.
AdiValka’s signature dhoti pants are the confluence of the best of Indic tradition and modern fashion, giving you a garment that is not only functional, but also chic, comfortable and that can be worn from studio to street.
Comfort, protection, adaptability are AdiValka’s main priorities — as with our pants, thus with our logo. By Indic tradition, knowledge served a larger purpose than being restricted to books meant only for a select few to be privy to — many ancient practices were steeped in scientific reasoning, and the rangavallis are no exception. Traditionally, the rangavalli was drawn by women outside their houses to create a welcoming and calming effect on a visitor who is just about to enter.
Rangavallis are the embodiment of the scientific and mathematical principles underlying Indic societies in many ways. In it’s true form, the rangavalli is said to create vibrations that cause it to serve as a center of positive energy. In Vedic times, (and in places, even today) women chant shlokas and mantras while drawing rangavallis. Per ancient knowledge, the vibrations from the chanting combined with the specific symmetry of rangavallis formed the foundation of the rangavalli as a positive energy center. Rangavallis are usually drawn by women in front of their houses before sunrise. As the keeper of the house, it is believed that the woman of the house by chanting mantrams and drawing the rangavalli kept at bay negative energies from impacting her family and home.
The choice of the rangavalli as AdiValka’s logo was an easy one — parallels abound between the philosophy of our brand, and the realities of the rangavalli. A pertinent example is that rangavallis are both aesthetically beautiful, while serving the purpose of having a calming effect on the observer. Similarly, we aim to make AdiValka’s products chic and comfortable, while also providing elements of protection, positivity and balance to the wearer. In adding the rangoli to our logo, we hope to create a similar feeling of balance and calmness for our customers — one that is amplified by our products.
Our world of rigid structures and tight-fitting schedules is often mirrored in clothing today, and AdiValka’s purpose is to counter this reality. Through our comfortable clothes, We aim to free your mind by freeing your body, and our logo plays its part in this as well. AdiValka’s intention is to be synonymous with feelings of contentment, comfort, and adaptability — thus the welcoming effect the rangavalli is known for makes it the perfect foundation on which to rest our brand.
adi [Sanskrit] — the first in time, beginning ; valka [Sanskrit] — covering, the bark of a tree
AdiValka — the first protective covering
India’s textiles have been renowned the world over for millennia for their quality, color, styles, designs, and most importantly their appropriateness and adaptability. AdiValka was born from the desire to create a product that had a deep connection with, and roots within, Indian apparel.
Our vision from the start was threefold: protection, comfort & adaptability — we wanted to create versatile, contemporary products inspired by the history of Indian textiles, art and culture, Ayurveda, yoga and Indic traditions.
While AdiValka launched on June 21st, 2018 — the seed was sown two and a half years prior to that date. Manisha Naidu, co-founder and designer of AdiValka, a novice yoga practitioner at the time felt a need for an alternate form of activewear to the yoga pants and nylon wear that characterise the market today. Dissatisfied with any of the solutions she came across, Manisha decided to take it on herself to develop attire that reflected the need she perceived. Thus, AdiValka began to take shape.
For two and a half years, Manisha thoroughly studied the history of Indian textiles and Indian fashions, in order to achieve her goal of combining the best of Indic apparel traditions with the modern design language of fashion. Teaming up with Jayakumar, co-founder of AdiValka, the duo began translating the research into reality. Fueled by the same fire — the Indic civilizational heritage — Manisha and Jaya, each in their own way and through their own experiences, felt the need to give shape and form to what has been a source of inspiration for many designers for millennia.
To fill the vacuum in the market for pants that were comfortable, functional, and made from natural fibers, Manisha extensively studied the kinds of clothes yogis had worn back in the day, initially focusing her study on female yogis. Through this study, she developed the concept of Adivalka’s signature dhoti pants as a tailor-made garment for yoga practitioners that also doubled as street fashion.
AdiValka’s dhoti pants are inspired from the kachche dhoti style — the kind of dhoti pants that were most commonly worn in India while practicing dance, yoga, sword fighting, kalaripayattu and so on. One of the primary requirements of the garment was that it be draped such that the wearer felt no restrictions while practicing their chosen art, sport, and activity.
AdiValka’s dhoti pants at their core are functional, stylish and adaptable, similar to its inspiration — a garment that in essence was a cloth wrapped around one’s waist, draped to different lengths and in different styles depending on the occasion.
AdiValka is our humble and contemporaneous effort to celebrate the unity of both style and function with everyday life with designs that reflect a deep harmony of fabric, color, comfort, and style. As we reflect on our first year, we’re thankful that our designs have resonated with people from all over the world — going as far as Europe, the USA, and even Australia.
