Tag: fashion
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Color Me Good
Why natural dyes are a win-win for us & the planet Blue hues of Indigo that impersonate water to soothe our souls, brilliant yellows of turmeric and marigold that make us happy and bold reds of roses and madder to get us charged up…colors are our eyes’ first interface with the world around us and […]
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Road to Auroville: Why this commune attracts artists
Auroville is best known as a spiritual hotspot that attracts scores of people to its verdant, lush grounds, looking for peace and a meaning to their life. An ideal township, Auroville also attracts creative beings that are looking for a new approach to their life and work. Artists, designers and potters driven by their passion […]
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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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Beyond the Red Lehenga: The Indian Bridal Story
The bride in her bright red lehenga has become one of those images used on brochures that explain India in three minutes. Right up there with the Taj Mahal, a tribal woman from Rajasthan, the backwaters of Kerala and the Qutub Minar. Though the lehenga is quite the bridal symbol, India and its many states […]
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Wallflowers
Every society continuously draws from its own past to re-define its collective aesthetic and it is quite often visible in clothing fashions, decorations in the home and of course in the revival of ideas. In this spirit it is a great idea and one that is rapidly gaining ground, to use vintage lithographs, advertising collaterals […]
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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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Breathe New Life into your Home!
“I believe that trends must have the capacity to stay relevant for a long time; at least a few years, at any rate. Otherwise they are not worth the money and the trouble. Accessories of course, are the exception to the rule because that is the easiest way of updating a space and giving it […]
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Jaypore Upcycling Week
What happens to that pretty cotton saree when it thins with wear and washing? Those scraps of fabric that get cut and discarded by the ‘master ji’ during the hand tailoring process or on an automated assembly line? The strips of leather that don’t fit into the design of a chic bag? Most of the […]
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Ajrakh Tales – Re-Contextualizing an Age Old Textile on the Contemporary Scene
The elegant symmetry of geometric patterns, the waltz of Indigo & madder dyes, and the minor imperfections that add to its allure… this is what forms the syntax of an ancient craft like Ajrakh. Like a skilled raconteur, the standard 3 meter length of an Ajrakh print tells tales of its invigorating history, the many […]
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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 […]
Storytellers of Wonder 