Few weeks ago I attended a symposium by Craft Revival Trust titled ‘After the Nawabs’ highlighting Himroo which could well be a textile of a bygone era. Textile aficionados who missed it could actually pick up Radhika Singh’s book ‘Suraiya Hasan Bose:Weaving a legacy’ about a legendary weaver in her mid-eighties. I sat there mesmerized…
Category: clothing
Contemporary Himalayan wear
Pema Khando is a fashion designer whose line of clothes is retailed at Mapcha – a concept store in Manju-Ka-Tilla, Delhi’s only Tibetan refugee colony. While grabbing a bite together at Ama Thakali (a Nepalese restaurant in the vicinity owned by her brother) the 43 year old filled me in with her life, influences and but ofcourse…
Handloom is neither cheap nor imperfect
“We work for that day when the word ‘handloom’ connotes neither cheap…nor imperfect…nor does it bring to mind visions of poor artisans with underfed children. We look forward to that day when ‘hand-loom’ is associated with pride and joy…and rightfully acknowledged as the very backbone of our culture and heritage.” – Karomi Crafts Kona Collection…
Smocking an antidote on indigenous textiles
Born and brought up in Srinagar, Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, a northern Himalayan state of India, Anjali Bahuguna of Brih is conscious of her surrounding, fragile ecosytem. Having done Bio Medical Engineering, she is into trading medical equipment since the past 12 years. Though in 2014 & 15 she pursued her passion for clothes…
Shringara, Saukhya, Svasthi
Shringara, is one of the nine ‘rasas’ or aesthetic flavours in classical Indian arts. Usually it is translated as erotic or romantic love, simple attraction or beauty. As, most traditional Indian arts revolved around the alliance between a man and a woman ‘Shringara’ was the primary emotion. cited wikipedia Saukhya means Pleasure and Happiness While Svasthi signifies Wellbeing, Auspicious and Healing…
Evoking desire in a sublime or refined fashion
Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa Your love has made me dance like mad Tere Ishq ne dera mere andar keeta Bhar ke zeher payala main taan aape peeta, Jhabde wahudi tabiba nahin te main mar gaiyaan Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa Falling in love with you Was like taking a sip…
Guilt-free minimalist fashion
This week too I’m picking the textile city Ahmedabad, for shopping. Hetal Shrivastav‘s Craftmark certified clothing label Raasleela seems to have hit the mark. This under-the-radar 100% handstictched minimalist uses age-old hand sewing techniques to restore our love for vintage and versatility. One benefits from wearing cotton which is ideal for our scorching heat and muggy…
‘Iki’ an expression of simplicity, sophistication, spontaneity, and originality
Since our hills are saturated with holidayers I’ve decided to look at other cities during the rains e.g. Ahemdabad – the Design Capital of India, to reexplore its heady mix of traditional and contemporary arts which has evolved with time. Staring at the blinding sun reflecting on the green leaves outside my window, processing my thoughts,…
Fashioning gender neutral clothes
Wajahat Rather is a beautiful young man. He reminds me of Oscar Wilde’s description of his character Dorian gray in the book ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray.’ And so do his edgy yet simple aesthetics which take reference from Kashmiri roots of arts and crafts for fashioning gender neutral clothing. I was lucky to have…
All for the love of handloomed waste
Don’t know what to term this unfortunate situation as …evolution or extermination? From Sunder Nagri to the neighbouring towns of Delhi, Ashita Singhal of Paiwand – a fresh fashion design graduate combed for weavers late last year and realized that the community was on the brink of extinction. Their derelict units brought tears to her eyes….
