What's the Difference Between the Nirvana, Avatar and Wabi Sabi Collections?
The Nirvana Collection
In Eastern religions, Nirvana refers to a state of ultimate liberation from the cycle of rebirth. The Pure Upcycled Silk Nirvana Collection is made from vintage pure silk saris, however these rare and beautiful pieces are flawless. They have magically eluded the ravages of time.
Enjoy the perfection of heaven on Earth with the sariKNOTsari Nirvana Collection
The Avatar Collection
In Eastern philosophy, an Avatar is an incarnation that teaches how to evolve virtues of the past into the present. The Pure Upcycled Silk Avatar Collection is made from vintage pure silk saris, chosen and worn by women in the past to celebrate their lives. If you look very closely, you will see that the silks in this collection show some of the character of their previous incarnations through the appliqués that have been lovingly applied to bring new life to the fabric. This piece is a reminder that we are part of a collective journey to which we all add a little something.
You may find some appliqués and/or very minor thread pulls on pieces in this collection.
The Wabi Sabi Collection
Wabi sabi pieces have flaws that we have tried to highlight in the images. We feel these pieces are still beautiful to wear and in most cases, you are the only one who will know that the piece has "flaws". Please look closely at the pictures and the video in the product images to learn about the flaws in the particular piece in which you are interested. Here is a description of the types of flaws that are mentioned in the product videos:
Fabric Warp and Weft Issues
What we mean when we say that there is a warp/weft issue is that the threads that are woven together to create the fabric have pulled apart slightly in places. This means that if you hold the fabric up to the light, you may see light peeking through the fabric. This flaw does not affect the fabric’s durability. This type of flaw can be mild, moderate or significant. Watch the video attached to the piece that interests you for details.
Staining
Despite the fact the the fabrics are cleaned before they are re-used, there may be some discolouration on the garment caused by day-to-day use or as a result of printing or dyeing issues. Please note that staining can be mild, moderate or significant. We try to highlight any stains we can see on the videos that accompany each wabi sabi product.
Thread Pulls/Pinholes
As you know, each sariKNOTsari piece of silk clothing is made from a vintage sari. Indian ladies often use pins to fasten their sari pleats in place and these pins can sometimes lead to pinholes and threads pulls. Also, in order to add durability and weight to the bottom of the sari, women will attach a cotton strip, called a “fall”, to the bottom hem of their saris. When we remove the fall in order to reimagine the piece of silk, there are inevitably small holes in the fabric. These tiny holes do not jeopardize the integrity of the fabric, as they are the result of the warp and weft threads being separated rather than broken. We categorize these types of fabric issues as mild, moderate and significant. Please watch the video that accompanies the wabi sabi product for more details about the specific fabric issues in the piece you are considering purchasing.
Brand Tag Stamp Visible
Sometimes you can see the sari-maker’s brand stamp on a piece of silk that we have transformed into another type of garment. We think the brand stamps are charming and that they don’t detract from our products, but because we also sell our clothing to boutiques around the world, we pull these “branded” products and add them to our wabi sabi or “perfectly imperfect” collection. Generally, if the piece you are interested in has a brand tag, you will be able to see its exact location in the product video.
Fabric Patching
In order to extend the life of our gorgeous silks, we use small patches or appliqués to camouflage the unavoidable fabric issues that arise from using upcycled fabrics. Most of our regularly-priced pieces will have some patching, but if there is more patching than we think is reasonable or if the patching is combined with another fabric issue, we will add the piece to our wabi sabi collection. Patching can be mild, moderate or significant. Please see the images and video attached to the wabi sabi piece that interests you for patches on that particular piece.
Wabi sabi pieces are final sale.
