A cultural revival

A group of students Mumbai’s National Institute of Fashion Technology are coming to the rescue of the state’s dying handloom clusters and have found inspiration in the lost and forgotten elements of Maharashtrian culture. Knitting and printing their ideas through their final year project, the budding designers are borrowing from the culture of the state in an attempt to bring back the glory days of handloom, albeit with a modern touch. Designs such as kosa silk, warli, paithani, Kolhapuri, which have been waning for the lack of interest from the younger lot are among the traditions that they are reviving through their efforts. We get them to tell us about their work and what they draw their inspiration from.

Shalaka Kulkarni, 21 Element: Kolhapuri Craft and Lambani embroidery My theme is ethno-grunge and I mainly use designs from Lambani and Kohlapuri traditions. Lambani deals with colourful threads and materials like mirrors, buttons etc. It is a mixture of various techniques and the end product is very colourful. That is what egged me to pick this project. Kolhapuri craft leans more towards footwear, but I have used the same technique to not just make shoes but have extended the style to handbags and headgear. To bring out the ethno-grunge flavour, I use sporty elements in colourful, wrap-around skirts and denims. I worked with karigars from Mankhurd and artisans from Kolhapur for the accessories. I also make use of motifs that I have redesigned such as elephants with the use of ghungroos, glasses, bells and other items. The artisans practising these crafts are extremely skilled and versatile, so they can adapt to different styles. It is a beautiful tradition of fabric design and it needs to be revived.

Shubhangi, 23 Element: Warli painting My designs have three major elements — Warli paintings, denim and discharge printing. I met artists living in Jawhar, a city close to Nashik and convinced them to do up some Warli paintings for me on denims. Traditionally this form of painting is done on walls and stones, and it focuses on everyday life, festivals etc. The collection includes blue denims with white Warli on it. Denim has its own essence; it needs its own technological processes to prepare. I used discharge printing for printing on denims instead of the commonly used screen-printing.

You will see a lot of flow in my designs; there was a lot of space for the artists to paint basic silhouettes, not scattered over bits and pieces. Many artists in Warli are leaving the craft because even though the art is recognised, it is not viable in present climes. The artists cannot fund themselves and they need to be given more work.

Dhwani Madhwani, 22 Element: Kosa Silk and Khand Fabric My theme is Bygone Raaga. These fabrics are timeless treasures of Maharashtra, but they are slowly dying. These fabrics are traditional and are unavailable in a city like Mumbai now. So I sourced kosa fabric from Bhandara, a district ahead of Aurangabad and Khand, which is near Pune. My collection is earthy, Indo-western and has a contemporary look. There is an instant connect with my collection because I used raw and pure Kosa.

Saree draperies inspired me for my designs. Kosa silk is used as a saree material and Khand is used in blouse pieces. Therefore, in my garments I have used khand in the tops and jackets, while I have used kosa silk for the skirts. This element needs revival because Khand is now considered to be old school and it is not available easily anymore. But it is actually a really light fabric that comes in beautiful colours. It will be easily acceptable in the markets.

Nimisha Jain, 24 Element: Banjara tribes My theme is khanabadosh, which means nomadic and it draws inspiration from a poem that my mother penned of the same name. The work of the Banjara tribes and Lambani craft also inspire my designs. The crafts are identifiable with vibrant colours and mirrors, shells and also the use of Lambani motifs. It was mainly seen in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Kutch. My designs are free-spirited flat knits. There is generous use of vibrant colour.s; jewellery is sourced from Gujarat along with shells and coins. The designs have long circular skirts, high-necked sweaters, capes, shawls and stoles. These designs have been developed with the use of stoll machines. Their motifs are jacquard knit. I have a different take on the Banjara craft. The art is practised mainly in the west, but it is very basic. It needs to be explored more. The style has a very contemporary look, which is what makes it appeal to the younger lot.