Billed as an attempt to resuscitate textile craft skills of India, the second edition of Nayaab will be an eclectic mix of design and skill. Curated by Rupa Sood and Sharan Apparao, the three-day exhibition will be held at The Lodhi beginning this Thursday.
The designs pay tribute to the ancient textiles of the country and present them in new, eclectic ways through the aesthetic sensibilities of talented designers featuring Aneeth Arora, Bodhi, Divyam Mehta, Gaurang Shah, Divyam Mehta, Swati Khalsi and Sunita Shanker.
The objective is to share the pride of the skills in an undiluted form; moving the crafts of textiles beyond ramp and make Delhiites see them as work of art.
Rupa Sood explains the basic contours of the exhibition.
Excerpts:
This is an attempt to revive textiles. What is the future of our textiles keeping in mind advancement of machine-made fabric?
Our aim is certainly to throw the spotlight on the weaving tradition and revive textiles. We aim to bring it to the centrestage so that it, once again, finds a pride of place in contemporary India.
We believe, the future of our textiles will not be hampered due to the advancement of machine-made fabrics as even after when machine made clothes ruled the entire clothing market hand-made clothes never went out of demand. People prefer to buy them over the former because of the strength, durability, and uniqueness it encompasses. And we believe it still exists with a huge fan following all over the world.
Machine made clothes; however, undoubtedly rule the apparel market as they are inexpensive as compared to the latter. They can be availed in all sizes and patterns. But they do not encompass any aesthetic value . Not everyone can afford handloom as they cost way more as preparing them is extremely laborious and time consuming.
We believe comparing the machine made fabric with the textiles is not fair as they both function in diverse ways. We want to ensure the continuance of the legacy, so even as power looms remain functional, we want to make sure that our handloom legacy and culture is protected.
What kind of research has gone into selection of Indian weaves?
Our research was focused majorly on selecting the apt designers for the second edition of Nayaab and we did a thorough market research of the latest collections they have showcased. Each designer has done a detailed understanding of the techniques and procedures that they wanted to present to our patrons. The initiative of the exhibition is to present the old charms of the textile heritage with the modern styles. Designers such as Gaurang Shah will exhibit Patola saris, he has used vegetable dyes, and techniques. Vriksh Odisha saris are designed from the grassroots and each technique used is taken from the heritage of the place. It a sincere effort of the designer to present the Odisha saris with the modern touches for our customers.
A new avatar
Usually hand crafted garments of Pero whether on the ramp and rack are seen in Westernised look. This time Aneeth has given a fillip to Indian silhouettes. “Since inspiration is Indian clothes we have shown how women can get the complete wardrobe – kurti, pyjama and dupatta all under the same roof.”
Interestingly, visitors would get to see saris, which have not been officially launched by Pero. “We would be showcasing 10 to 15 saris. So far, our label hasn’t officially launched sari. Each sari would be a unique, one of a kind piece.”
A craft revivalist, Aneeth is known for using fabrics from different parts of the country. “Last season, we showcased Jamdani. At that time weavers in Bengal had stopped doing them. We believe in working with the same set of people so that they keep getting work. This time we have worked with weavers of Bhuj in Gujarat. We are showcasing natural block printing and Bandhini. It is all in black and white to go with the current season. We were working with block printing of natural colours. So we thought it would fit with the scheme.” Twenty five styles of shirts, tunics, dresses and bottoms will be showcased.
According to Pali of Monapali label, she is making an attempt at reviving textiles. “A handcrafted dupatta revives the heritage as it passes down as heirlooms pieces through generations. Taking a cue from the same thought, we have created an exclusive line of handcrafted and hand embroidered dupattas and also blended them with jackets to create single sleeved anti-fit wraps.”
Noting that she had put kantha on the international map, Pali says: “We will display a range of kantha in dupatta; we have infused this embroidery with satin stitch, long and short. I have also done linen, which has weave of ikkat. Most dupattas are in kantha stitches.”
For Divyam Mehta, this was another opportunity to demonstrate his expertise in Shiboni technique. “ I’ve used shiboni of Bengal and Gujarat. Designs are coming out of barks of trees; they are wild free flowing. So we have converted them into shiboni. We have done the intricate way like first tie the fabric and then dip it in colours. And then we open the knots and create pattern out of it. So it has been a mix of bandhini, mix of how we tie the fabric and tie.”
