India is a land of diverse culture and practices where each and every state has its own distinctive culture and sub culture which is as exquisite as it is authentic.
Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state and my home state, is famed for its varied abundance of textiles; from the finest hand woven silks of Kanjeevaram to the coarser, striped “Jamakkalam” carpets of Bhavani which are second to none on the textile front. Although, over the years, there has been a steady decline in the use and production of these exquisite textiles owing to a number of reasons – largely economical.
While the Kanjeevaram Silk sarees have found themselves comfortably seated in an international and domestic market owing to its irresistible aesthetics and intricacy, the humble Jamakkalam has been brushed aside, leaving a huge dent in its production. Moreover, these carpets are traditionally hand-woven (Dobby and traditional handloom) but they are outrageously mass produced by power looms, further hampering the livelihoods of traditional handloom weavers.
So here’s the question that led me to arrive at my MA project proposal, what happened to the traditional hand-woven Jamakkalam carpet weavers (Dobby) whose work can also be produced by a power-loom and sold for a cheaper price?
I had had the pleasure of working with dobby weavers from Chennimalai, Tamil Nadu through a CSR( Corporate Social Responsibility) project. The region is known for its course bright-stripped "Jamakkalam" rugs and bed sheet weaving that used to adorn the floors of most homes in TamilNadu until the 19th century. However, as the market for Dobby weaves reduced drastically by time, so did the weavers. According to the census in India , there have been more than 700 weavers who have committed suicide since 2008 due to starvation or inability to pay off loans.
Listening to their stories at work, made me grow extreme compassion towards them of how they have endured and strived to keep going through all these years of hardship because they all had one intention in mind ‘to not lose a tradition that was taught to them by their ancestors.’ This led me to sculpt my MA project around the subject to spread awareness about handloom weavers and to celebrate their craft.
Click on Individual garments for more details
The collection aims to create an innovative, sustainably-produced collection of fabric using the hand-loom in order to uplift Tamilian dobby loom weavers.
The collection draws its inspiration from Indian Block prints as well as the Indian technique of “Ikat” which is a craft in and of itself.
My collection is deeply rooted in my time spent with the weavers of Chennimalai. I have been moved by their simplicity, grit and determination. Through this collection, I not only wish to revive the dying craft of Handloom Dobby weaving but also shed some light on the incredible community of handloom weavers in general who, according to me, are truly in a league of their own. Their passion and discipline to their craft is unmatched and sadly, ever so often, unrecognized. So, I have taken it upon myself to name each of my styles after the traits of the weavers whom I so deeply admire.
Due to the Covid pandemic in 2020, the unavailability of university resources deterred me from producing physical samples. However, the digital illustrations provide a realistic outcome of the collection.
Handwoven
Fabrics that are woven manually by traditional weavers on a handloom. The collection concentrates on developing fabrics woven by the Tamilian handloom weavers of India in order to sustain their craft and livelihood amidst the world of fast fashion.
Natural Dyes
Eco friendly dyes that are derived from nature. The collection uses natural dyes extracted from flowers that are wasted in the process daily Hindu worship in India.
Ikat
Fabrics that are constructed by resist dyeing of yarns prior to weaving. The collection takes inspiration from the appearance and texture of Ikats.
Dobby weave
Patterns, typically geometric, created with minimal shafts on a handloom during weaving. The project aims to incorporate dobby weaves in order to uplift dobby loom weavers of Tamil Nadu, who are the most affected due to the growth of power looms.
Block print
Application of dyes on fabric using wooden blocks that are carefully hand-carved by the artisans. In this collection, wooden blocks are used to apply dyes (as opposed to resist dying) on the warp yarns prior to weaving.
Tie & Dye
A resist dyeing technique that involves various tying methods on a fabric to be dyed in order to create a pattern. In this collection the yarns are randomly tie dyed to create patterns.
Sustainability development goals followed for my MA project
Sustainability Development Goal 6 -Clean water and Sanitation
Sustainability Development Goal 14
-Life below water
Sustainability Development Goal 12 -Responsible consumption and production
Circular economy, zero waste and Sustainable development goals have a major impact on this project. Learning about carbon emission made me realise the massive effects on environment caused by basic problems faced in production and consumption in the field of textiles.
Sourcing raw material locally can save massive amount of carbon footprint. Throughout the project I have carefully worked out ways to minimise carbon footprint by sourcing all materials from within Tamil Nadu right from the consumption of yarns, dyes, packaging and souvenirs. This will also support SDG 13 for climate action by reducing carbon footprints. The chosen yarns and dyes cause less or no harm to the environment as they are sustainable and eco-friendly. Some of the processes involved in this project provide solutions to other unsustainable practices.
