Our Story

 

My love for sarees started when I was a young girl growing up in Chennai. I was the child who helped my Mother arrange and rearrange her saree collection in her Godrej Bureau. The myriad of colors, weaves, and textures always allured me and I was taken by the beauty of the handloom. I always treasured my Mother's collection and started cataloging the sarees of her's that I wanted one day. Once I moved to the U.S., I went into the tech field and always enjoyed wearing handlooms for social occasions and buying them for my friends and relatives during my trips to India. 

It wasn't until I had the opportunity last year to re-make one of my Mom's original Kanjivaram sarees from her wedding truso that I developed a deeper interest in the artistry of the handloom. I created 7 replicas of the original Kanjivaram Korvai as a gift for my sister and nieces and as soon as I wore the saree, I had so many friends asking me where I got it and if they can acquire the same. I realized at that moment that I should pursue my passion professionally and upon urging of my friends and family, I started Antara Weaves.

Antara Weaves only curates handlooms from the various regions of India. We work directly with many weavers all over India who use their artistry to make our original designs. We have personally selected these weavers based on their craftsmanship and we have also visited these weavers personally so that they can understand the type of unique sarees we curate. We have a special affinity towards handlooms from the Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu. We invite you to explore our beautiful collections and fall in love with these beautiful handwoven sarees. 

---Simi Shankar
Founder : Antara Weaves