TRADITIONAL WEAVES CONTINUE TO HOLD FORT


Just as Desirable

The beauty of the six yards continues to dazzle and nothing looks as classic as a traditional handloom saree.

At an ongoing Saree festival by designers Asha and Gautam Gupta, that is rightly named "Kargha" or "looms" it was a heritage trip, getting to once again see on display our rich history and culture.
Each saree is a masterpiece by a mastercraftsman.

I am wearing a Paithani with a zari border



According to designer Gautam Gupta, "We want to bring alive the craftsmanship of varied regions and innovate to bring out their beauty, while same time not stylising it so much that the essence gets lost."

The eclectic collection comprises; Ikat, Patola, Paithani and Uppada.

It is noteworthy how the textile hubs, from where these traditional weaves emerge continue to buzz. Infact they make for interesting travel destinations, for those wanting to discover the long running weaving traditions and all the craftsmanship that goes into it.





The place of origin:

Uppada comes from a village Uppada in East Godavari in Andhra Pradesh.
Ikat or Ikaat from Pochampally outside Hyderabad.
Patola comes from Patan in Gujarat.
Paithani is from Paithan in Aurangabadh in Maharashtra.

As an endeavour to keep these valuable sarees in demand, designer Gautam Gupta, is very keen to endear them to a younger age bracket as well. So while keeping the essence, he has tried to merge traditional motifs with geometric patterns and tried to introduce some monotones instead of shocking colours, to appeal to the contemporary woman. The brand is also mixing yarns to create new blends of fabrics which flow better. "Increasing the wearability quotient is after all going to help keep these sarees going," says Gautam. 

His main aim is to get the handloom saree out of its staid image of a "grandma's saree" to turn it into a "style statement" worn proudly by all age groups, He even suggests teeming it with a crop top or a fancy blouse, as long as the saree gets its due.

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