Apparel November 2019 Apparel November 2019 issue | Page 55

FEATURE
SHANTIPUR, WEST BENGAL
The historic town of Phulia in Shantipur—and
Shantipur as a whole—is known for its tant and
vibrant silk fabrics. Situated in the Nadia district
of West Bengal, this town has today become the
go-to place for every designer looking to reinvent
the finesse of tant. This cotton fabric is known
for its feather-light feel and uniform texture.
From saris and dresses to soft furnishing, the
handloomed fabrics of this town are lightweight
and can be worn round-the-clock with ease.
KUTCH, GUJARAT
Any discourse on Indian handlooms is incomplete
without the mention of Gujarat’s rich legacy of
handwoven textiles, with Kutch being one of the
most significant markers. This vibrant state of
India boasts a lexicon of handiwork, embroidery
patterns, and weaves created ingenuously by
the artisans of Kutch. More than 45 styles of
embroideries are significantly in use and dominate
the clothing of this region. Apart from these,
the bandhani (a tie-dye technique that is known
to date back to the Indus Valley Civilisation),
Bhujodi shawls, kharads, and dhurries, among
many others, bloom to their fullest here. Textiles,
here, are woven on various kinds of looms, two
of which are pit looms and frame looms. Today,
the Khatri community of Gujarat is a pioneer in
weaving many a handloomed textile.
ANY DISCOURSE ON INDIAN
HANDLOOMS IS INCOMPLETE
WITHOUT THE MENTION OF
GUJARAT’S RICH LEGACY OF
HANDWOVEN TEXTILES.
simple threads, weavers are capable of bringing
about magnificence on these saris. Benarasis are
normally woven in dazzling tones that together
characterise exuberance.
PAITHAN, MAHARASHTRA
The town of Paithan is famous for its bright,
ceremonial saris. Typically known to be a
Maharashtrian bride’s attire, the Paithani sari
is known for its rich silk body and zari motifs.
Weaving a Paithani takes a lot of time (anywhere
from ten months to three years, depending on the
intricacy of design and texture) and its price tag
justifies the effort a weaver takes to give shape to
VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH
The exquisite Benarasi saris of Uttar Pradesh
have been sought by people from across
the globe. Having been recognised with the
Geographical Indication (GI) tag, the craft of
weaving Benarasi saris was once a royal practice.
Ancient texts have mentions of the Benarasi
warp-and-weft technique that highlighted the
use of gold and silver threads. The floral and
faunal motifs woven into a Benarasi today exude
uninhibited class and elegance. Even by using
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