Shanti Banaras promotes tiger conservation with new collection

Luxury womenswear brand Shanti Banaras has launched ‘RoaR’ as an occasion wear collection designed to promote tiger conservation in India. The collection’s accompanying campaign is also designed to use art to raise awareness about the negative effects of deforestation. 

“Across forms, these geometric installations tell stories of tiger conservation changing India, overpopulated tigers in shrinking spaces and the human urge to push against their boundaries further in the quest for development,” Shanti Banaras’ founder and designer Khushi Shah told Elle India about the collection’s new campaign. 
 
The collection’s campaign was brought to life with photography and art direction by Pranoy Sarkar. Set against illuminative tiger installations in the Indian wilderness, Shanti Banaras’ new designs are presented as a part of nature and a celebration of the tiger, while warning of its power. 

RoaR uses the tiger as a motif throughout the collection, rendered on handwoven Banarasi sarees and lehengas using the traditional craft of Badia. The collection has a colour palette of purples, blues, oranges, and metallic silver details for a vibrant effect and is designed for the autumn festive season. 
 
“The genesis of RoaR started with the aim to celebrate the tiger- a motif you’ll see throughout the collection- but we wanted the campaign to serve as a wake-up call to shed light on human-tiger conflicts in India,” said Shah. “An astonishing tale of man and beast hunting down each other unfolds in this series, as habitats shrink but tiger numbers start to rise for the first time in a century. And it’s this battle for turf that could leave both sides bleeding. Habitat loss has forced tigers closer to human habitation where they are at risk of being hunted and these conflicts will continue to rise unless the destruction and loss of forests is halted.”