Tag: Embroidery
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The Grand Old Lady of Kutch: Chandaben Shroff (1933 – 2016)
The driving force behind Shrujan – Chandaben Shroff – passed away on August 23 at the age of 83. Fondly known as Kaki to everyone who had met her, Chandaben was a pioneer in the field of crafts conservation as she began working with artisans much before anyone else. As someone who has lived in […]
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Stitch by stitch
“I must share the story of Tabassum with you. She was one of the most highly-skilled artisans in Lucknow. She had won state-level awards. When we started training her as part of the first batch of the Sangraha project, she was very overwhelmed. She broke down and started crying. She said she wasn’t capable of […]
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Design by Flowers
Roses, tulips, chrysanthemums and peonies; acanthus and Irises… the grammar of ornamentation on textiles, jewelry, furniture and architecture has always included flowers. Whether they were carved onto wood, sculpted in stone or block printed on fabric, the human world has had an unceasing fascination with floral motifs. Flowers were perhaps one of the first things […]
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Punjab: an Amalgam
Famous for its scenic landscape, mustard blooms, ancient fertile lands, religious diversity and gregarious people, Punjab, despite it’s beautiful mountains and rivers was not always as blessed! Punjab has always been the center point of civilizations due to its strategic location as the entrance to the Indian subcontinent. Foreign invaders like the Persians, Greeks, Scythians and Kushanas came […]
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In a Qila
How Qilasaaz is effecting change in the lives of women artisans of Mahmudabad. The backbone of the erstwhile world of feudal privilege and opulence was always an invisible army of skilled craftsmen/women and artisans. They ensured a splendor and an aesthetic richness that was often breathtaking. Their efforts affected every aspect of life then and […]
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Re-Worn: Getting a New life
A weaver sits on his loom patiently weaving ‘Khesh’ – a weaving technique that uses new yarn in the warp and strips slashed off old sarees in the weft. The weaver chooses these strips randomly off a pile sitting next to him; the result is a stunning piece of fabric where the colors of the […]
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Uzbekistan : A Thriving Culture
Uzbekistan is one of the oldest civilized regions of the world. First settled by Iranian nomads, Uzbekistan has been in turns ruled by the Greeks, Turks and Arabs, the much feared Genghis Khan and Taimur; the ancestor of Mughals. By the time Uzbek tribes became powerful in the 15th century, Uzbekistan had already cemented its […]
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Reborn: Recycled Designs for a Sustainable Lifestyle
Gudri is a fine layered coverlet which was originally created in Gujarat by putting together patches of fabric, usually old saris that were carefully saved for the purpose. The fabrics are layered and held together by the use of a running stitch, painstakingly done by hand in parallel lines running from end to end. The […]
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Indian Craft Meets International Design
The rich cultural heritage and exquisite craft forms of India have always been a source of inspiration for global fashion and international designers and the latest thing to add on to this list are the beautiful embroideries done at a workshop called ‘Aditiany’ in Kala Ghoda, Mumbai, India. Finding their way to the red carpets […]
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7 Indian Women of Style & Substance
These legendary women represent the quintessentially Indian sense of style by pairing handcrafted sarees with elegant accessories in their unique way…read on! 1. MS Subbulakshmi Image Courtesy: The Hindu & karpuramanjari.blogspot.in A renowned Carnatic vocalist and the first Indian singer to receive the Bharat Ratna Award, the divine voice of MS Subbulakshmi is an inspiration […]
Storytellers of Wonder 