The AITUC Tamil Nadu Handloom Weaving Workers’ Federation opposed the disbursement of wages to weavers through digital mode. In a resolution passed at the State-level meeting held at Kumbakonam on Saturday, the federation claimed that disbursement of wages through banks would cause immense inconvenience to weavers and therefore cash disbursement should be continued. It demanded … Read more
The jamdani process in the looms in Srikakulam is intricate and meticulous | Photo Credit: Sangeetha Devi Dundoo Jyothi and Suma rarely take their eyes off the loom, even to talk; they patiently count the threads and go about the weaving process. They are among the 50 women who work at a 25-loom facility, with … Read more
Women participating in the Handloom Sari Walk on the beach road in Visakhapatnam. | Photo Credit: V RAJU Visakhapatnam is set to host a vibrant celebration with a three-kilometre sari walk along Beach Road, ahead of National Handloom Day (August 7). The second edition of the event organised by The Spirit of Vizag Society aims … Read more
Outfits from Label Erode’s debit collection, jimikkalam | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Once a prominent decor artefact, the tightly knit jamakkalam carpets in bright shades of navy blue, red, green, and white now don a new avatar courtesy Mayank Bhutra’s label, Erode. The GI-tagged Bhavani jamakkalam, crafted in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district is on the … Read more
Hyderabad-based textile designer Gaurang Shah’s Whispers of the Loom showcased a wide range of handlooms from different pockets of India, to mark National Handloom Day on August 7. | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal How well do we know our handlooms? A habitual wearer of handlooms or anyone with a keen interest in the sector would … Read more
An Uppada weave from Madhurya Creations | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement We have heard of sari revival projects that encourage weavers to get back to looms, individuals to restore or repurpose their heirloom weaves, and even get mainstream brands to collaborate or tie up with weaver clusters. At Bengaluru-based Madhurya Creations, Andhra Pradesh’s famed Uppada … Read more
Gurvinder Kaur Gundev displays fabrics with phulkari | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Craftspeople from across India met on the Crafts Council of Telangana (CCT) premises in Hyderabad for the CCT Sanmaan 2023 on Thursday. The council presented awards to a handful of deserving artisans at state and national levels. A common factor that binds the … Read more
Saeed Ur Rahman displays a rangkat Banarasi sari | Photo Credit: Sangeetha Devi Dundoo Saeed Ur Rahman, the Banarasi masterweaver who works with weavers across 800 looms, quotes lines from a Majrooh Sultanpuri poem when asked how he and his family grew from strength to strength and came to be known as one of the … Read more
From the 15th anniversary special show | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement “How could making a sari with steel have ever been a business decision?” This is the loudest I have heard Rimzim Dadu, 36, a decidedly quiet and introverted designer exclaim. It is a reaction to my rather pointed question: Was the metallic sari (inarguably, … Read more
Amit Aggarwal’s most challenging creation: “This outfit took the longest because I couldn’t crack it technically till a day before the show” Crafted from recycled plastics and industrial materials, Amit Aggarwal’s floor-skimming dresses and lehengas at FDCI’s India Couture Week have a future as art. That, he admits post show, was the plan all along. … Read more