There was a time in the 60s and the 70s when if you were not being dressed by Bhanu Athaiya you were not important in showbusiness. In her career spanning six decades, Bhanu Athaiya (1929-2020) shaped Indian fashion and invented a new role, ‘the costume designer’ as yet unknown to mainstream movies. The Prinseps exhibition aptly titled “Legacy of Bhanu Athaiya” examines not just her costumes – but also her formative years in Kolhapur, her life as a student and artist at the JJ School of Arts, Mumbai, her time at Eve’s Weekly as a fashion illustrator and her contributions to Indian theatre and cinema.
With around fifty exhibits of works by Bhanu, (along with a few by her family members or colleagues), The motive behind Prinseps Exhibition: Legacy of Bhanu Athaiya, is to educate the discerning art lover of her legacy and therefore, research driven institution to explore and celebrate every aspect of her inspiring career as an artist, illustrator, film and theatre costume designer, art advertisement conceptualist and India’s first ever Oscar winner.
The exhibition will showcase the treasure trove of Athaiya’s personal heirloom and textile pieces. The beautiful, handwoven sarees with real gold zari, passed down to Bhanu from her mother and grandmother. Her family is decendents of the Rajopadhayas (Royal Priests) in Kolhapur, Bhanu Athaiya was exposed to exquisite taste early in life and made it a part of her organic journey, some of it documented and photographed by the Lakshmi Vilas Palace and Museum, Vadodara.