Indian textile is (finally) having its moment

Indian textile is (finally) having its moment

We are at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity where I am trying to sneak a picture of a block print of cultural icon Begum Akhtar on a blouse. Its wearer, Mamta Varma, runs Bhairavi’s Chikan in Lucknow, with 300 women who do fine chikankari embroidery. Noting my interest she reveals that the unusual blouse was made by … Read more

Crafts Council of Telangana’s Sanmaan 2023 awardees bat for time-tested techniques and slow fashion

Crafts Council of Telangana’s Sanmaan 2023 awardees bat for time-tested techniques and slow fashion

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

Rights of the loom: Malvika Singh discusses her Sarees of Memory project

Rights of the loom: Malvika Singh discusses her Sarees of Memory project

A sunny, sweltering summer afternoon in Delhi sees the gates of the Brazilian embassy open to visitors. Not for caipirinhas, but for a pop-up (the ambassador is a friend of craft) featuring, among home accessories and garments, a line of exquisite saris developed by textile maven and author Malvika Singh. The shopping experience is in … Read more