Demonstrating authentic kalamkari technique; Nikita Shah | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Buying a handloom textile that uses a 3,000-year-old craft is akin to acquiring a work of art. Much like a painting or sculpture that holds value for its authenticity, a handmade fabric is worth every rupee spent, says Nikita Shah, a Brooklyn-based independent researcher … Read more
Ilkal sarees worn by women in North Karnataka | Photo Credit: Navaldeep Thareja “You are not a Bharwad if you wear a saree,” is how elderly Bharwad women chide young women from their community. Navaldeep Thareja, a textile engineer from Sangrur in Punjab, who often visits little-known places across India to meet craftspeople, artisans, weavers, and tribal people and photo documents … Read more
A kalamkari artist at work. Artisans at Kalam Creations worked on new collections during the pandemic, handpainting stories from the epics | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Post-pandemic, while the retail sector noticed the tendency of ‘revenge shopping’ — splurging — immediately post lockdowns, the buying patterns have more or less shifted to a new normal, … Read more