Top Designers take to Indian Fabrics

India’s traditional fabrics like raw silk, cotton, jute are finding

favor among top designers raring to break new ground in the highly competitive Indian fashion market. The tendency to ape Western cuts and styles in recent years has seen the country’s own rich craftsmanship take a backseat. But at this year’s Wills India Fashion Week, classic couturier Tarun Tahiliani marked the return to traditional craft with handmade Indian fabrics and embroidery in his signature draping style.

 

The designer showcased sleeveless jackets over tiny T-shirts, sarongs and his trademark sari drapes held together by embroidered belts. Similarly, Samant Chauhan, from Bihar, is trying to revive the handloom industry by focusing on raw silk and making it appealing to the global market. He has been promoting raw silk and using it a lot in texturing, interlacing and knits to create layered outfits. The silk is hand-woven and made from an eco-friendly process without the use of any dyes.

Another example is designer Nitin Bal Chauhan, who gave up a scholarship offer to study fashion abroad and went back to his village in northern Himachal Pradesh, where the skills of local craftsmen were dying. However, perfect fits are not possible with handloom as it doesn’t mould like the fabrics available abroad.