and returned to Mandvi. He worked with his elder brother, who sells dyes, but he wanted to have his own business.
Zaeem’ s uncle Akhtar suggested that there was a good market for traditional bandhani in gajji silk. Zaeem felt bandhani required minimal investment, and he wouldn’ t have to learn so much because bandhani was in his blood. He searched for artisans around Mandvi, and learnt work from Akhtar for about 10 days. He finally started his bandhani business in October 2016.
Zaeem feels that the future of bandhani is good, if one innovates. Most Khatris get their work printed by the same people; so those look similar.“ A good artisan listens to clients’ feedback and experiments,” he says. He knows that he has to study colour, and learn more about products.“ Bandhani is the past and the future,” Zaeems says. Now it is also the present, he feels as he dreams of becoming a successful businessman, and travelling aboard.“ I like balance, texture,
The Winners
The final winners in the four categories were:
Best Presentation: Zaeem Mustak Ahmad Khatri
Best Collection: Khalid Usman Khatri
Most Promising: Mitesh Manji Sanjot
Most Marketable: Dilip Dahyalal Kudecha
Special Jury Mention: Shamji Dhanji Mangariya
father still makes woollen ludis for Rabaris, and he still takes the ludis from village to village in the traditional way. Hamza did his B Com in 2014 at Bhuj. While studying, he also worked with a chartered accountant to gain experience. He learnt dyeing from his cousin purely out of interest. He has three years of experience in bandhani and six months in dyeing.
Zaeem Mustak Ahmad Khatri
Hamza Hasan Khatri’ and emphasis. Emphasis was new for me. I had visited Ahmedabad, but not these shops. Online business was new.” From the SS 2018 LA Colours Trend forecast, Zaeem selected‘ Regal Safari’ and called his theme‘ Royal Time’.
Hamza Hasan Khatri’ s family is originally from Aral. Prior to 1965, his grandfather did ironing and dry cleaning in Virani. Then he began to make wool bandhani. Hamza’ s father separated from the family, and lived in Vithun. He went to Delhi from 1975-1980, where he printed fabrics. Then he returned to Vithun, where he did wool bandhani. Hamza is the sixth of seven children. Over time the family began to work with cotton bandhani, getting job work from Mandvi, and eight years ago they started working in silk.
Four of the brothers currently do bandhani job work in silk. Two years ago the family shifted to Bhuj for their bandhani business. But Hamza’ s
“ Traditional designs are good. New ones are less appreciated. The future of bandhani depends on the individual. I’ ve already learnt to do what I thought wasn’ t possible. Bandhani is livelihood, identity and a means to success. I like contrast, and colour schemes. I have learnt what design is. I learnt ways to make patterns. I like tessellation. At the Gandhi Ashram, I saw spinning for the first time. Also prices and revenues must be fair to both artisan and client.” From the Spring-Summer 2018 LA Colours Trend forecast, Hamza selected‘ Jardin de Plantes’. He worked with Kriti of MSU for‘ Metamorphosis’.
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