Text by Akanksha Pandey
Enter at your own peril, past the bolted door
where impossible things may happen
that the world has never seen before!
– Dexter’s Laboratory
Rimzim Dadu’s Delhi-based design lab is an innovator’s haven. The assiduous designer’s now-iconic technique – by which a simple wire can be transformed into a piece of art – is driven by a deep-rooted passion for amalgamating art, design and science in order to bridge the divide between ready-to-wear and couture. Dadu’s exploration with the warp and weft is an endless affair, and her experiments with atypical materials such as silicon sheets, metal, plastics, stainless steel, zari and leather cords have been path-breaking in an industry notorious for its preoccupation with revealing the next big trend. Her imprint has only grown stronger, and her label has found its footing among the most sought after brands in the country, not to mention the host of buyers and a loyal audience that has been witness to her journey of over a decade.
Welcome to the laboratory!
Silicon sheets were shredded and cut by hand to form these silicon yarns. These yarns were woven over a period of two years to make the silicon jamdani sari
Signature metallic cords are hand-manipulated, set and machine sewn to create metallic ripples which are then handwoven to create this brand-new textile
Signature metallic cords are sewn to create a surface which is then cut by hand and sewn into floral patterns
Plastic sheets are cut into strips and sewn together to create metallic waves
Signature metallic cords are sewn in layers to create a corrugated effect
Signature metallic cords are hand-manipulated, set and machine sewn to create metallic ripples
Thin as hair metal wires are sewn to create the signature steel wire textile
Chiffon is torn into strips and twisted and sewn into cords to create the signature shredded cord textile
Signature chiffon cords are sewn into waves to create the textile
Signature metallic cords
Organdy fabric is cut and sewn with cord inserts to create a stencil effect
Fabric is cut by laser into squares and sewn together into a grid
Handwoven leather cords
Zari yarns are handwoven to create the metallic gauze