Marathi Magic
Kantha Creations: Manju Shete & Sujata Thorat
Manju, 48, and Sujata, 47, met in their housing society in Pune 18 years ago. They bonded over their children and discovered a shared a passion for art. Manju is a trained commercial artist and Sujata holds a Master’s degree in Fine Arts. They decided to reinterpret traditional Maharashtrian textiles and handicrafts, and started Kantha Creations.
For example, the ladies have used the rustic khand blouse bits cleverly in bags, saris, salwars and hugely-popular waistcoasts, with an inside lining of kalamkari and block-prints.
They also work with copper and wood, transforming traditional household objects into usable modern-day artefacts, and make beautiful evening purses with the gorgeous Paithani.
The friends meet every morning in their studio at 10.30. “There’s no signing out time. We keep bouncing ideas. Luckily, we have a great rapport going and we think alike 98 per cent of the time,” says Sujata.
Manju and Sujata work with artisans trained in a specific craft. “More than a business, this line of work gives you creative satisfaction. You feel good you’re doing something to keep tradition alive,” says Manju.
Threads of change
Needle Work Foundation: Usha Subrahmanya
Twenty-eight years after being part of the garment industry, textile designer Usha, 54, embarked on a project that married her vision and the exquisite needlework of gypsies. She started a foundation where she helped lambadis, from Belgaum, Hampi and Bellary, channelise their craft in new directions.
The result? Blouses and salwars with lambadi embroidery — stunning in their use of colour and threadwork.
But all this took time. Speaking about her work with the Lambadis, Usha says, “They trust you, but only after being convinced you are serious about their craft.”
Language is an issue too, but sign language comes in handy to convey exact shapes and sizes.
Most of her creations are in darker shades, simply because white fabric given in for embroidery usually returns with stains. “They are slowly learning the importance of retaining colour,” she says.
“The best part about this project is that everything is one-of-a-kind. It is exclusive because women do this entirely by hand in their free time. And, we never repeat the designs. So, every piece you buy will have heirloom value,” says Usha.
“Every stitch comes from the soul.”
Khadi cool
Sahaworks: Santosh & Amitra Sudan Saha
“My wife and I wanted to bring about change through design,” says Amitra. “In the course of our interaction with weavers, Santosh and I met many weavers who felt their work is not ‘good enough’. We want to change that mindset.”
Amitra and Santosh now have a unit that works with weavers from Bengal, Assam and Orissa and keep alive traditional weaving practices in contemporary ways. For example, the gamcha weavers. The couple researched and documented their work.
“The gamcha weavers are in dire straits. We wanted to upgrade them and get them to adapt their weaving style to make saris,” says Santosh. The less-skilled weavers among them make carry bags for Sahaworks.
Amitra is eloquent about Khadi. “Each part of our country has its own methods of spinning and weaving. This has been passed down generations, and that reflects in the varieties of textures of the fabric we see.”
Sahaworks does extensive R&D to combine Khadi with other natural fibres such as linen, muga silk and jute to create newer looks and textures. The Jamdani work on Khadi is what Amitra is immensely proud of. He calls them “the most beautiful weaving traditions of West Bengal”. In the pipeline now is R&D of Ikat on Khadi. “Once the excitement of Puja is done, we will get on with that,” he says.
