Weaving New Experiences: Buyer and Seller Meet

Textiles and weaving are an important part of Indian heritage. The methods and style of Indian textile is still rooted in the rich past and this is a prime factor that sets us apart. Each state in the country has their own unique textile history, from high up in the north to down in the south the patterns and looms vary. 

The ‘Buyer and Seller Meet’ that took place on 8^th-9^th May, 2014 at Textile Committee is part of the special collaboration between Ministry of Textiles, Lakme Fashion Week and CMAI to promote Indian handlooms in modern retail through Indian Handlooms & Textile Day held at LFW every season. As the name suggests, it is a place where the buyers and sellers come under one roof.

Colors, weave, and business is the agenda of this event. The students of Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion had the rare chance of attending the Buyers and Sellers Meet. The event gave them a chance of learning about different textiles and here they are sharing their discoveries.

     

 

                                                                       
                                                   
From Bengal there was Jamdani that is a hand loom woven fabric made of cotton, which historically was referred to as muslin. Traditionally woven around Dhaka and created on the brocadeloom, jamdani is fabulously rich in motifs and are generally geometric, plant, or floral designs and are said to be a Persian and Mughal fusion. 

Kantha is a form of embroidery which is most commonly practised in West Bengal and Bangladesh. A decorative border of running stitches is one of the key characteristics of this style. The running stitch, also known as the kantha stitch, is used for most of the intricate patterns in the middle of the cloth as well.

Rajasthan brought Kota Doria Sari, which is woven on a traditional pit loom in such a way that it produces square checks patterns on the fabric. A little further down, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh brought Ikat to the table, which is of two kinds- single and double. In single Ikat, the warp or weft yarns are dyed as per the design while in double Ikat, both warp and weft yarns are tied and dyed to create designs. Andhra Pradesh also added Mangalagiri cotton Sari for which the raw materials are cotton and gold thread or Zari.

Chanderi fabric is known for its sheer texture, light weight and a glossy transparency. Chanderi was always woven using handspun cotton warps and silk wefts, whereas Maheshwari Sari has silk warp and cotton weft both of which are from Madhya Pradesh. Maharashtra contributed Indori Sari and Assam brought its share of Muga, Eri and Mulberry silk. Muga silk has a natural golden color and is very expensive while Eri, a coarser yarn of silk, is the cheapest among all. 

And at last we reach Tamilnadu and their gorgeous Kanjeevaram sari. The pallu of the sari is woven separately and later joined with the sari. The joining lines are often denoted with delicate zig-zag line.

There was a stunning display of Silk Yarns, like the Muga which is the common name for the Antherea Assam’s caterpillar which eats the leaves of the Som tree. They are wild caterpillar reared in Assam produced silk which is golden in color. They are used for Assamese traditional Mekhelachadar or Sarees/Dress materials, whereas the hand spun Mugagicha yarns are used for making shawls and home furnishing materials.

Eri Silk was another example of the great art. This is a  product of the domesticated silkworm, Philosamiaricini that feeds mainly on castor leaves. It is also found in Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa. Eri silk produced in Assam, and the yarns were spun by hand spinning only. Because it is difficult to produce fine yarns by hand spinning, the hand spun eri silk yarns are mostly of coarse quality and hence was limited for making thicker fabric such as winter shawls, winter jackets etc.

The aspirants had a gala time exploring textiles from varied states and are thrilled to have gotten this opportunity to feel and understand the techniques used by the weavers. The display of so many wonderful and colorful textiles created a vibrant mood which the students enjoyed thoroughly.