“Who told you that weavers are dying out? That their children look for other jobs? This is all nonsense!” the multi-faceted Gaurang Shah says.
“I started working with weavers in 2001. Today our label works with 800 plus weavers on a daily basis and support around 3,000 artisans across the country.
What weavers need is encouragement and consistency. You need to update them on market trends. You need to involve them in the design process. I also supply them the yarn for weaving so they don’t have to spend on materials. But above all, you need to acknowledge, appreciate them,” he says.
His designs are usually characterised by a cornucopia of vivid colours which is what sets his Lakme Fashion Week (Spring-Summer 2018) apart. Christened ‘Neel’, Gaurang’s scintillating saris in blue propounds craftsmanship from across India.
So we see a cobalt blue Jamdani weave from Bengal, a deeper indigo Ajrakh silk from Rajasthan, a cream and blue hand-painted Kalamkari from Andhra, blue patolas from Gujarat and more. He professes, “My heart is with saris, always. Even the select Anarkali designs and menswear have an Indian touch. A sari is like a canvas.”
