October 2019 Edition Apparel October 2019 issue | Seite 88

ENTREPRENEUR SPEAK
ANCESTRY WORKS ONLY WITH
NATURAL FABRICS SUCH AS
CHANDERI, COTTON, AND LINEN.
HAS YOUR FOCUS ON TRADITIONAL
INDIAN HANDLOOMS BEEN A
CONSCIOUS DECISION?
Yes, that is the ethos of Ancestry—to fuse
traditional crafts with modern silhouettes.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR WORK
WITH WEAVERS.
Ancestry works only with natural fabrics such
as chanderi, cotton, and linen. The fabrics for
Ancestry’s ‘Jamdani’ collection were woven by
artisans in Bardhaman, West Bengal. Similarly, the
‘Earthernwear’ collection was created in Bagru,
Rajasthan, one of the few centres in India that are
famous for mud-resist printing techniques.
HOW HAS ANCESTRY ATTEMPTED
TO REVIVE TRADITIONAL INDIAN
TEXTILES?
Some of the crafts used by Ancestry, including
jamdani weaves and dabu prints, are extremely
unique to the geographies they were sourced
from. Ancestry helps the involved craftsmen in
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bringing their work to the forefront by presenting
it in styles and silhouettes that are loved and
appreciated by present-day women. The idea is
to revive traditional Indian crafts by taking them
through the passage of time, and presenting their
modern version to culturally evolved audiences.
WHAT IS THE DESIGN IDEOLOGY OF
ANCESTRY?
The collections at Ancestry comprise exquisitely
tailored Indian outfits such as kurtas, dhoti pants,
palazzos, tunic tops, and even Western pieces
like long dresses, short dresses, jumpsuits, and
much more. We extensively use pastel colours
and breezy silhouettes, clubbing them with motifs
that allude to nature. The Jamdani collection
embodied just this essence—rustic charm
coupled with quirkiness. Our ‘Meraki’ collection
is a fun mix of shibori styles, florals, and timeless
classics in white. The colour palette ranges from
natural indigo, watermelon hues, and pure whites
to pastel blues and peach. While the designs
and cuts vary with every collection, we do not
compromise on quality and comfort.
WHAT ARE THE NEW TRENDS IN
WOMENSWEAR TODAY?
Comfortable, easy-to-wear outfits with a touch
of luxury are trending the most. More and more
women want to take to our country’s ancient