Strike a balance between aesthetics and style as you go back to your roots with traditional handcrafted techniques to blend haute couture with the magic of traditional weavers.
Raise a toast as you do your bit to revive the gorgeous, ancient weaving techniques that are fast disappearing. The Indian fashion industry is going haute with vengeance and shaking hands with grassroot weavers to lend the indigenous handlooms a modern twist with new-age hues and styles.
Anindita Sardar, designer, Taneira states, “This is an era of revival. We work with various clusters of weavers by reviving old forgotten weaves of India, for instance in Varanasi, designs like Shikarga where you see jungle motifs which date back to the British Raj, are being revived.
Another outstanding revival is the Konia designs, as the name suggests, a paisley is woven at the corner of the pallu. "This technique of weaving is quite complex taking into account the positioning of the Konia motif. We’re also bringing back some old flavours in Kanjeevarams – for example the checkered body with skirt borders which were once a craze in the 70s. Designers are also reviving Chanderis lost glory like haath lagao mehendi sarees, where you get to see the hand of the bride woven delicately in zari.”
Even contemporary designers are opting for traditional handlooms for haute couture. They’re spinning couture magic and reviving dying textiles; be it the Paithani from Maharashtra, Benarasi brocades or Kanjeevarams from Tamil Nadu, designers are now showcasing handcrafted fabrics for the niche fashionistas.
Couturier Anjali Sharma, French Curve shares, “Ancient Indian craft is rich and beautifully entwined with handwork. The fabrics woven by hand are by far amongst the most cherished and precious in the world. To give back to the society is imperative and what better way but to uplift the grassroot level, in our case, the design specialist and the weaver. And you have a win win!”
Our country is rich with a diverse heritage of ethnic Indian textiles. Ally Matthan who started The Registry of Sarees adds, “It’s a wonderful time to be wearing and celebrating the handloom sarees and Indian handloom textiles. When we speak of ‘going back to our roots’ we imply a reconnection with the craftsmen and weavers who keep our wonderful heritage alive and vibrant!”
