Onam is still in the air and all around us, here in Kerala. The radio has cringey jingles going “new-gen onam” and inspired creatives are still sharing interesting pop culture and traditional festival crossovers. Totoronam, anyone?
But among the many intriguing lifestyle objects to emerge this season, the Barani bag from Chennai-Bangalore-based Subr Studio truly stands apart. An established bag brand that has been in existence for almost a decade, Subr was founded by Chennai-based Sudha Sekhar and Susan John.
Their Mohini bag captures the likening of a traditional Mohiniyattam dancer, down to the mullapoo and nettichutti has been a crowd favorite that they release during Onam. Even their Sanji bag, inspired by the big-shoppers that were very common in the 90s, and even the early aughts is an inspired original.
According to the brand, they are “redefining luxury with a wink and a smile, crafting limited edition pieces of arm candy." They are creating wearable works of art in the form of their whimsical bags. The Barani bag is a sway from the brands’ earlier designs, which are more rectangular, and a befitting ode to a cultural object whose influence runs deep among South Indian states.
Specifically for Malayalis, the glazed Cheena Bharani is an object that was brought to our lands by the Chinese for food preservation during their, and eventually became the storage jar of choice for homemade pickles. It is a signifier of how we’ve taken influences that came to our shores and have somehow made it our own and continue to hold on to.
Having recently pivoted from a mass-produced approach to creating limited pieces for each design, the hand-painted white and gold Barani bag with a drawstring closure is a simple but elegant statement piece The current version of the bag is their 2.0 take, after creating a variant for last Onam that featured more structure and a zip enclosure.
Sharing how they were inspired by a passing comment by one of the founder’s moms to make a ‘Barani’ bag, this design from Subr Studio is a touch of nostalgia captured in the form of modern functional art. The 6x6 diameter cylindrical bag can easily morph from being a sling bag to a clutch of sorts, with its detachable metal and fabric shoulder strap. Beyond gender and fashion sensibilities, the Barani bag is a piece of modern homegrown design that can spark a conversation and foster connections, or if nothing else, make a great sartorial statement.
Follow Subr Studio here.
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