CAMPUS WATCH
Artisans @ Somaiya Kala Vidya
Khalid had no dreams; he did not have goals either. But now, he does.“ I want to do something unique and be known.” At SKV, he expects to learn as much as possible, to take it all in.“ The classes challenged me. When I look at a film song now, I am looking at colours! I could never draw, but now I can suddenly do! It makes me happy. I can bring it into my work. I saw paintings everywhere. Wall hangings can be a new product. I learnt how to get design ideas from experience.”
From the Spring-Summer 2018 LA Colours Trend forecast, he selected‘ Along the Bosporus’. He explored Bhuj palaces and sampled to evoke his theme. Khalid renamed his theme‘ Anekta ma Ekta’ which means“ unity in diversity”. He made a theme board, a colour palette and samples. Khalid experimented in creating and using the colours of his theme. Choosing appropriate motifs, using texture contrast and relevant principles of design he made stoles, dupattas, and a wall hanging.
The third from the group, Akram Jusab Khatri, is someone whose grandfather made red and black
blocks, but Akram ordered new ones in traditional patterns when he began the SKV course.
Akram feels that the future of ajrakh is good.“ Natural block prints are in demand, and when one thing goes out of style, another comes in. But competition is growing.” So, he wanted to learn design at SKV.“ New things are usually accepted,” he says.“ Ajrakh is surely a livelihood,” Akram feels.“ But it is more too. It is my tradition. I dream of becoming a good designer and a good businessman. Both are needed.”
Akram explored a range of markets in Ahmedabad and analysed market segments. He selected the SS 2018 trend,‘ Jardin de Plantes’, and named his theme‘ Mine of Nature’ or‘ Nature’ s Bounty’. Akram learned finishing techniques, and worked with Bhumika from MSU to develop layouts for saris, stoles and dupattas. He even printed one layout in actual size to understand proportion and scale.
The Weaver Graduates
Akram Jusab Khatri
Dilip Dahyalal Kudecha sadla in Vagad. When he passed away, the family moved to Dhamadka. Jusab did labour printing for one Anwar Isa. After some time he and his elder brother started their own workshop, printing red-black-and-white fabrics in natural dyes for the urban market outside of Kutch. Around 1997, Jusab closed the workshop and started a cloth shop. Soon, he moved on to wholesale marketing.
Akram was two at the time of the 2001 earthquake. He lost a sister, and the family rebuilt their home. Two of Akram’ s uncles moved to Ajrakhpur, but Jusab remained. He was able to expand his shop, and called his business Akram Dyeing. Akram, the eldest of four brothers and three surviving sisters, studied till the eleventh standard. While in his last year of school, he learnt block printing and dyeing. A year ago, he and a partner started a workshop, with guidance from his father and SKV graduate Aslam. The family owns many
Dilip Dahyalal Kudecha’ s father studied in Bhujodi and learnt traditional weaving there. Since childhood, Dilip was interested in weaving and learnt the craft on his toy loom, fashioned out of nails and acrylic yarn. He wanted to experiment, and remembers that he wove his name in one sample. When Dilip was in the eighth standard, he would practice on the family loom in the afternoons when those were idle. He learnt extra weft from his mother. Dilip is a B Com graduate. His father wanted him to study further, but he wanted to weave.“ If I want another degree, I can always do an online course,” he says.
Dilip has been weaving part-time for five years and full time for three. He likes to do new designs. If he has trouble working a concept out, he asks his father to help. His father advises verbally, not with drawings; they even do this over the phone.“ Weaving is identity and livelihood,” Dilip says.“ Our
122 | FIBRE2FASHION NOVEMBER 2017