Twelve days before his show at the recent Lakme Fashion Week, designer Ujjawal Dubey had still not tied up with any organisation or handloom cluster for his fabric needs. Then he was informed about a cluster from Assam, and its work with muga and eri silk. The resultant line, B A L A N C E, marked his association with the United Nations Development Programme, GoCoop (an online marketplace that helps handloom and handicraft cooperatives and artisans connect with buyers), and Raymond.
Surprise element
Dubey, who has associated with Raymond for two years, is known for his innovative use of fabric, draping and layering to create a sense of fluidity. His brand Antar-Agni came up with a collection that fused formal and fun, and the traditional and contemporary. There was an interesting twist, too, with the asymmetrical silhouettes featuring zari work on silk sourced from Rampur in Kamrup district, Assam.
“Fabric is our strength and this was a very interesting proposition. I was aware of the texture of silk from Assam and its character, though I have not used it in any collection before. It’s always fun to work with something new,’ says Dubey.
The zari was a last-minute surprise and he and his team worked around the challenge to come up with a colour palette that would do it justice. Ultimately, the team went for beige, ivory, dark grey and citrine yellow. “The zari was orange-yellow and we wanted to subdue the contrast in some cases and help add to it in others.” Due to lack of time, they opted for regular dyes over naturally-derived ones.
Breaking with tradition
“Our aesthetic lies in plain fabric, but zari was a great addition, and it helped break the monotony. We ended up using a lot of mild stripes and checks. The best part was that I was working with something that was raw and unadulterated. It was the weaver’s mindset and there was no intervention. It was like working with a blank canvas,” he recalls.
This experiment did not come without challenges, primarily relating to garment construction. “Handspun, handwoven fabric comes with certain traits, and you can’t drape it as you might usually. There’s a lot more friction. But, after processing, dyeing and softening, we reinforced the fabric and constructed it layer by layer. This helped us get neater cuts, and control the fall and the neatness of the line.”
Other than the joy of seeing something new take shape, B A L A N C E was also a huge learning experience for the team. “The biggest takeaway is that we can work with any fabric, that the fabric is our hero. We also realised we are spontaneous and can work on short time frames. This is a more confident team now,” he says.
Knowing the history of the cluster that created the fabric helped make the entire experience personal, says Dubey. “We wanted to visit them because I believe we should know their story, the core of where the fabric comes from, how the weavers work, what drives them… but the time was too short and so we coordinated with Go Coop. The line was ultimately about the interaction of one creation/mind with another. We are looking at lingering associations.”
Available shortly in Raymond outlets and on antar-agni.com.
