The woven treasure

Handloom creations

Safeguarding a rich and precious heritage, one that is a timeless beauty, is a blessing for future generations. And what can be a bigger boon for the country than the classic world of handlooms?

The tradition of handlooms can be traced back to the ancient times and every region of India has different designs, weaving techniques and materials used in the process. The magic of Indian handloom textiles is spreading all over the world. With the country recently celebrating ‘National Handloom Day’, designers shed light on one of the most treasured artforms that India is primarily associated with.

“The present handloom scene in India is great and more people are seen talking about it. They are realising the importance of this rich tradition that we are naturally blessed with and we are going back to the basics. Earlier, most people looked forward to machine- made products, but today fashionistas worldwide are choosing the path of eco-friendly and sustainable fashion,” says designer Rinku Sobti.

She highlights that earlier, handloom fabrics were considered only for the royalty and seen as a luxury; and if one starts doing the same today, weavers will be more respected and accepted. “The handloom scene should not be politicised in the long run and the highlight should be on the weavers and working for their upliftment. The handloom industry is very popular in the international market and this is the time when India can work on increasing the value of their own treasure,” adds Rinku.

In a labour-intensive country like ours, people can’t afford to have machines to generate employment. There is always a need to create a balance and in this scenario, a balance between machine-made textiles and handwoven ones should be the focal point. 

Agreeing with that, Jonali Saikia, the founder of ‘Heeya’ (a venture that works on exposing the rare handlooms of the North East), says, “Since the past couple of years, there is an increased interest in handlooms among people, not just as a fashion trend but also the awareness that this is something that we have to revive to protect our cultural identity.

She points out that handloom products have made a place for themselves as a niche product which is a good thing. Though there is demand the people working on handlooms (supply) are less. Not many youngsters are aware about handloom products and she says that the age group inclined towards it is 28 and above.

So what should be done to raise awareness about handlooms? She says, “Creating awareness about its preciousness among people who are naturally inclined towards handloom can be one of the first steps. Also, educating people and encouraging them to pick handloom as a profession in rural areas can make them proud of what their forefathers used to do. This can also set a global recognition for handloom. Moreover, getting more celebrities to wear handloom outfits can increase awareness among youngsters.”

Apart from classic saris and variations in Indian ethnic wear, the trending handloom products are accessories like scarves, ‘dupattas’ and even home furnishing goods according to Jonali. But the need of the hour is to make the present generation aware of this eternal blessing.

Designer Purvi Doshi says that today designers are incorporating handloom in their collections in some way, contributing to its rising popularity. “A lot of people see it more as a trend and they are not trying to understand the deeper meaning behind it. Since handloom outfits or garments are an expensive affair and are quite difficult to maintain, many people choose other textiles over handloom products,” she says.

And when it comes to the younger generation, she points out that other things are more fashionable for them. It’s important to make them aware that the more a handloom product is used, the greater the employment opportunities and development that will happen in this sector.

“The basics should start from school; only if children are taught, will there be awareness. As for my collection, I weave a plain and simple khadi outfit and give it to the women in villages for hand embroidery. I create contemporary styles, where the cuts, infused with Indian art works, are suited to the Indian body type. Use of natural dyes and mostly cotton is what I look forward to working with,”says Purvi.