Apparel September 2019 Apparel September 2019 issue | Page 72

UNIQUE INITIATIVE
A NEW LEASE OF LIFE
A textile expert and PhD-holder, Dr Hemalatha Jain is involved in the revival of
traditional weaves, especially from the North Karnataka belt. Bindu Gopal Rao
speaks with her to gain further insights into the initiative.
Dr Hemalatha Jain, a designer, professor, and
textile revivalist, works closely with weavers
through her trust Punarjeevana, which
means ‘rebirth’ in Kannada. She unravels
more about her various revival efforts in this
exclusive conversation.
TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT
YOUR EARLY YEARS AND WHAT
GOT YOU INTERESTED IN TEXTILE
CONSERVATION.
I had always had an interest in handmade
products and crafts as I loved their
uniqueness. Studying textiles in my
bachelor’s and master’s courses increased
my inclination towards this craft. Further
on, I began working as a designer with
the handloom board of Maharashtra
and Karnataka Handloom Development
Corporation (KHDC), which had me working
closely with artisans and understanding
the minute details of their work culture
and difficulties. Having been well aware of
66
I APPAREL I
September 2019