Apparel July 2019 Apparel July 2019 issue | Page 176

FEATURE
IT IS HOPED THAT THE
GROWING APPRECIATION
FOR THE ATTRIBUTES OF
THE NATURAL INDIGO
DYE WILL CONTINUE TO
FUEL ITS RESURGENCE
AND BENEFIT THE CRAFT
COMMUNITY OF INDIA.
154
I APPAREL I
Gujarat, founded with an aim to start a movement
to take beautiful, handcrafted Indian textiles
to the world stage, to share space with the
best global textile and fashion labels. CDS
conceptualises and presents the ‘Walking Hand-
in-Hand’ initiative, wherein artisans work with
leading designers, and together, produce a line
of couture garments, which is presented through
a fashion show. After the fashion show, CDS
Art Foundation assists artisans in participating
in international craft exhibitions and connecting
them to designers and buyers.
On February 9, 2019, CDS presented ‘Walking
Hand-in-Hand Indigo Exchanges’ powered by
Arvind, a fashion show that highlighted the beauty
of natural indigo dyes, the multifaceted attributes
of khadi, the role of the ustaad or master
craftsperson in creating textile masterpieces, and
thus preserving their traditional craft and bringing
pride to their community. It also shed light on the
importance of collaborations between designers
July 2019
and artisans to create textiles and garments with
singular beauty and an international appeal.
Eight collections featuring natural indigo-dyed
garments using different textile mediums, which
were a result of collaborations between master
craftspersons and designers, were shown along
with a khadi collection by nine designers to offer
a tribute to Gandhji on his 150th birth anniversary.
The artisan-designer collaborations included were
ajrak specialist Abdul Jabbar Khatri from Kutch with
designer Soham Dave, weaver Samji Vankar from
Kutch with designer Paromita Banerjee, textile artist
Ajit Das from Kolkata with designer Santanu Das,
Avani from Kumaon, an organisation known for
its natural dyes, with designer Lipi Khandker from
Bangladesh, Aranya Naturals, an organisation in
Munnar, known for its natural dyes, with designer
Kris Lajeskie from the US (who created shibori
designs with the dyes) and designer Anuj Sharma,
who ingeniously created garments from fabrics
using only buttons and rubber bands, designer
Madhu Jain, who presented garments of beautiful
bamboo-silk ikat woven with yarns dyed with
natural indigo, and Asif Shaikh, who presented a
collection of exquisitely stitched garments adorned
with bird motifs embroidered with indigo-dyed
yarn (dyed by a master dyer in India and master
dyer Aboubakar Fofana). Shaikh’s collection
was subsequently also shown at an exhibition
titled ‘Confluence of Birds’ at Kasturbhai Lalbhai
Museum on March 15, 2019, to showcase the
beauty of fine hand embroidery and natural indigo.
The beauty of the wonderful spectrum of indigo
hues on fabrics and their depth of colour, the eye-
catching motifs and patterns of indigo created by
artisans with different techniques, the easy, flowing
silhouettes of the garments, and the collaboration
between skilled artisans and experienced designers
who tap its potential convey how far the dye has
indeed come.
It is hoped that the growing appreciation for
the attributes of natural indigo will continue to
fuel its resurgence, while also benefitting the craft
community of India.