Designer Dalia B Mitra has always done something unusual with her brand Dashobhuja. The Kolkata Mail correspondent Priyanka Dutta caught up with the talented designer at her home to speak about her new works and also about Puja fashion.

On the way to the designer’s flat, our correspondent was mesmerized by the amazing Alpona that was drawn on the stairs. It lent an amazing look to the stairs and was a fitting way to welcome the Mother Goddess.

The designer said “We all deck ourselves and also our homes in the finest way possible during the Durga Puja. But we often forget to do anything outside of our homes. I did this Shantiniketan style-inspired Alpona so as to give a totally festive look to my home. When you draw Alpona that stays for a long time, it not only brightens the look of your home but also gives you a festive feel. This is what I have tried to achieve with this decor”.

Dalia B Mitra has started working with the budding new artists to encourage them to draw on cushion covers and table covers that match with any picture in the room. According to the designer, this lends a theme to the room and there is a great link between the picture on the wall and also on the cushion and table covers.

 A staunch supporter of women empowerment, the designer employs women weavers, and women block printers for her works. Two girls are learning wooden block making. She said that she might be able to use their expertise after six months once their learning period gets over. The bags in which she gives her products are eco-friendly paper bags. They are made by women students who earn from this work and support their education.

The designer wishes to start a home delivery service of her own in the future. She wants to employ two girls and deliver her products with their help to clients in different parts of Kolkata.

Dalia B Mitra’s living room has a statue of Ma Durga that has been in her household for 50 years. She has decked up the Mother Goddess in a new sari and new weapons like other years.

Speaking about the Puja fashion, the designer highlighted the fact that red, green, pink, yellow are some of the most preferred colors during Durga Puja. Grey color is in demand this Puja.

The designer has designed a couple-collection. This not only is limited to husband and wife. This ranges from father-son or mother-daughter couple collections as well. The sari for the mother might be in a lighter shade while the daughter’s sari might be in a brighter shade. In this way, she has segregated the designs for the clients depending on their age and preferences.

Accessories like fusion jewelry, anklets have been designed by Dalia B Mitra.

She has also designed amazing designer blouses for her clients to team up with saris that they purchased.

Masks are an important part of our attire now. So the designer has come up with amazing fabric and stitched masks that not only give you protection but also increase your style quotient considerably.

When asked about her Durga Puja plans, the designer said “We have Durga Puja at our household and hence I will not have time to do anything else. The five days will go in a jiffy praying to the Mother Goddess. I and my other sisters-in-law will be dressing up in the same sari designed by me one day. I will just pray to Ma Durga so that she can remove the Coronavirus from our lives and pardon us for our mistakes that we did against Mother Nature. What we are suffering now is due to the selfish actions that we have been doing for the past so many years”.

We hope Dalia B Mitra’s prayer is heard by the Mother Goddess and she eradicates the ongoing pandemic from the world and pardons us for our sins.

Happy puja!!

Priyanka Dutta