and wool for Vishramji Valji in Bhujodi. Two years
ago, he left weaving to work in Dena Bank in Lodai.
Mitesh studied till the seventh standard in Kotai and
from eighth to tenth in Swaminarayan Gurukul in
Bhujodi. He did not enjoy school, but was interested
in weaving which he learnt from his father four
years ago. For the past six months he has done job
work weaving for his uncle, Dayabhai.
Mitesh feels weaving is a means to creating
an identity. “A good artisan concentrates on his
work, creates well-finished marketable products
and always innovates,” he says. Mitesh dreamt
of making a unique identity in the market and
creating his own business. He hopes SKV will
launch him on that trajectory. “I didn’t know
about balance, and other principles. I’ll try them
in weaving.” Mitesh renamed his theme ‘Nature
is Gold’. He made stoles, dupattas, and a curtain
after learning finishing techniques, and worked
with Bhumika to develop layouts for stoles,
dupattas and a sari.
For Pratap Nanji Kharet, his grandfather was
the only weaver in Bandra village. He made shoes,
and wove as well. When Pratap’s father Nanji, the
eldest of five children, was six, the family moved to
Bhujodi. Vishramji Valji, his grandmother’s brother,
gave them a place to live. Nanjibhai married at 14
and wove satrangis for Devji, his wife’s brother,
and then for Vishramji. With Vishramji’s support,
he was able to start his own work in 1993. In
2003, Nanji got the President’s award for a shawl,
which took nine months to weave. Pratap’s uncle,
mother and grandfather have also received awards.
As they lived in a large joint family, the awards
provided important opportunities for exhibitions and
international travel.
Pratap studied till the twelfth standard in
Bhujodi. He did two years of B Com, but he wasn’t
serious in continuing. Pratap has accompanied his
father to exhibitions all over India, and likes selling
and dealing with people. In 2016, when the family
Kutch weaving is like handwriting. All of us sell in
an exhibition because we each have a unique look.
We mostly do traditional designs, but play with
colour. Traditional work is again in demand. It is the
effect of popular films. The Rann Utsav also brings
tourists to Bhujodi,” says Dilip.
He likes challenges, and wants to take weaving
forward. “I am the new generation. I can bring that
perspective. My father can bring balance. I will do
something new, as much as I can in SKV. Then I will
join my father. I wanted to do what I don’t do at home.
My favourite part was weaving. I saw how I could apply
principles. I saw how people use products, and how
stores display. In one craft there were many price and
product ranges. We need to know about customers to
present to them effectively.”
Dilip renamed his theme ‘Golden Time’. For his
collection called ‘Golden Age’, Dilip created stoles,
saris and dupattas, using his colour palette, zari
yarns, and different techniques to merge colours.
In case of Mitesh Manji Sanjot, his father wove
for twenty years in Kotai. He made shawls in acrylic
was divided, Pratap mulled over about his future.
He learnt weaving only six months ago from his
elder brother, and today feels that handloom has a
good market. “It is unlimited,” he says. He recalls
his grandmother’s words; ‘God gave us the job of
making cloth so we should do it.’ “Weaving is our
heritage,” he adds.
Pratap realised that he hadn’t grown for some
years. He was impressed with the change he saw in
his friend Pravin; so he decided to study at SKV. “My
father had struggled,” he says. “I want to maintain
his work and his name. I liked the practical
exercises at SKV. This was the first time I did motifs
like this.” Pratap learnt to communicate through his
work. From the SS 2018 LA Colours Trend forecast,
he selected ‘Casa Amarelo’ and named his theme
‘Art of Nature’.
The great grandfather of the fourth person
in the group, Shamji Dhanji Mangariya, was a
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