The Hindu, Chennai: A tale of Six Yards

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2010/03/29/stories/2010032951010800.htm

DNA, Bangalore: Six Yards of Style

Pictures from Delhi Launch on 11.11.2009

After the wonderful success post the London launch held earlier in April, whereby Indian Saris : Traditions - Perspective - Design has caught the fancy of art, design and fashion lovers across UK, Europe and United States – not just the visitors at the Manhattan Barnes & Noble Bookstore but also at the museum shops like the British Museum Bookshop – Wisdom Tree and NID launched the book in Delhi at a glittering event co-hosted by the Craft House and Chivas.


The young generation of achievers – Bhavana Reddy, Monisha Gupta, Nida Mehmood and Ruchi Goyal Kaura wore their favorite saris and shared their special relationship with it, providing an interesting take on the future of Indian saris.


Shilpa Das, Head - Publications at NID conveyed the vote of thanks.


Maharani Chandresh Kumari, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha launched the book in the presence of well known fashion designer Ritu Kumar.


Vijay Singh Katiyar, the author of the book added, “My engagements with the handloom sector as designer and the first hand insights derived, necessitated me to do this book. Design and its comprehensiveness play a vital role in the growth and development of the handloom sector. Usually the sari and its traditions have been studied and described more from the socio-cultural perspectives. Holistic understanding of sari as a product and its tacit relationship with the user is the focus. My endeavour is to present the sari and its nuances afresh from a designer’s perspective for the benefit of common audience. Design elements from the traditional practice of sari can contribute immensely for the future growth of the creative industries in many innovative ways. This book has been a labour of love for me and I am humbled by the amazing response readers have sent from across the globe.”


Leading fashion designer Ritu Kumar stressed about the need and approaches to carry forward exceptional traditional skills and vocabulary in meaningful ways.


Maharani Chandresh Kumari also brought and showed some exquisite textiles from her royal family collection. The gesture was applauded by all present.


Commenting on the interesting co-publication Pradyumna Vyas, Director NID stated, “The success of this book and the acclaim it has received has encouraged us to give a renewed impetus to our publishing program and you will soon see many more beautiful books emanating from NID. It has been a wonderful experience working together with Wisdom Tree and we look forward to a long relationship with them.”


Commenting on the success of the book, Shobit Arya, Publisher Wisdom Tree said, “Indian saris is an epitome of Indian ness and this brilliantly illustrated and thoroughly researched book does full justice to the great Indian fabric which has draped the beautiful Indian woman for hundreds of years. Deservedly, it has already gone into a reprint even before its first India launch.”

Indian Saris lends a new dimension to the way the traditional Indian sari is looked at, and upholds it as an epitome of holistic design with a unique creative expression. In the backdrop of Indian social-cultural and economic ethos, the book unfolds the mesmerising woven yards of the sari, the quintessential piece of garment that has draped the Indian woman since time immemorial.

The volume, with over 892 visuals, aims to delight and enrich the aesthetic experience of the reader with information on a wide range of saris from both the past and the present and ultimately introduces the contemporary design initiatives taking place in the sector. It enumerates the fascinating accounts of the sari’s traditional significance, the diverse styles of weaving, design vocabulary, and even the myriad styles of draping found across the sub-continent. It is indeed a glowing tribute to the magic flowing out of the deft hands of the Indian weaver and to the undeterred artistic spirit of the sari.

Wisdom Tree is an independent Indian publishing organisation that believes in creating books that are Indian in essence and global in appeal. Wisdom Tree books reach across the globe having been translated into several foreign languages and being sold in all the English speaking countries of the world. Eminent and acclaimed writers who have chosen Wisdom Tree to showcase their work include Karan Thapar, Shubha Mudgal, Kapila Vatsyayan, Amit Dasgupta, Ashwani Lohani, Suresh Oberoi, Jaya Jaitly, Bharat Thakur, Sonal Mansingh and H.Y. Sharadaprasad, among others.

Author’s Speech at the national launch of ‘Indian Saris: Traditions – Perspectives – Design’ in Delhi on 11.11.2009

Maharani Chandresh Kumari ji, Ritu Kumar ji, Director - NID, distinguished members from design & art fraternity and delegates,

The first thing I would like to say is 'thank you' for having taken out your time to be with us this evening. Your presence is a demonstration of solidarity that you have in your hearts for the cause of Indian textiles. I am well aware that many of you have been contributing significantly to the crafts of India. For me, it is an extraordinary privilege to be in your company and share some insights gained through my close contact with the handcrafted textiles of India — with particular reference to the saris of India.

There could be no better place than Delhi for the national launch of this book, as the city is home to a large number of creative professionals. Policy framework for the development of handlooms in the country is also determined here. I wish to share my experience and intent to engage in a renewed dialogue with people and institutions to initiate meaningful partnerships for sustenance and growth of Indian textiles.

The idea of globalization and dealing with its issues is not new to India. Traditional Indian textile industry down the ages has amply shown a resilience to deal with it through innovation and dynamism. If we discount the dynamics of power and politics of our history, the foreign intervention and business interests in the region have had some positive impact on the profile and structure of the Indian textile industry. The reputation of Indian textiles reached far and wide to many new shores which, were not necessarily dealt with earlier by the Indian textile communities. New elements kept being assimilated in our design vocabulary. The concept of production line was established. Many new varieties were developed specific to the interests of new markets. The interaction amongst the artisans across the production centres improved.

The situation was to the gain for all stakeholders till the introduction of the detrimental diktats of British rule. It was this period when many exquisite crafts got extinct. However, we could overcome such adversaries through the Swadeshi movement led by Mahatma Gandhi and post independence craft revival movements. But, it is important for us to note that it has been to our great advantage that many foreign artists, scholars and surveyors, since their very early visits to India documented many exquisite textiles and other crafts in detail. A great deal of revival initiatives in the twentieth century for some exquisite Indian textiles by heritage conservationists could only be attempted due to the availability of such records — especially for the textile traditions that had languished under the impact of machine-led industrial revolution of the nineteenth century and also due to the sharp decline in the demand of many varieties during the two World Wars. In the era of intellectual property driven global society, we need to learn lessons from our past and rightfully claim our heritage and indigenous knowledge through quality research and publication programmes in the country.

Foreigners in pre-independent India did not find a trade interest in the sari. So, its existence and continuity remained interwoven with the successes and declines of other major varieties of Indian textiles — particularly, in terms of its design, production and styles of draping. The Indian sari could out-survive other major trends in Indian textiles and fashion due to inherent tradition bound continuity of certain ethos and values of Indian society. It remained one of the core products from the family of uncut-and–unstitched range of Indian textiles which a traditional pit loom was originally fine-tuned to and engineered for. The day Indian handlooms stop producing saris, the very existence of handlooms in India will have no music. They shall lose the inherent identity that we all love and cherish.

In India, for a practising textile designer, it would be a rarity if one did not get an opportunity to design saris. Today, when I look back, I consider myself fortunate to have got such an opportunity right from the early part of my career as a textile designer. Since 1987, I was happy designing hand woven saris—it was always like beginning to work on a new canvass each time where opportunities for creative expression are comparatively much higher than any other commercial category of textile products. One could simultaneously explore and design inexpensive but colourful cotton saris as well as rich and exotic silk varieties at the same time.

But, the excitement of the initial period could not last long. One was soon to feel concerned by a number of issues that were beyond the obvious or the market success of new design collections of the sari. There are a host of issues such as, poor socioeconomic conditions of the weavers; survival and continuity of the icons of cultural identity in design that is constantly being influenced and invaded in modern India; tension between traditional ethics and tenets of globalisation. Of course, the sustainability and continuity of diverse traditions of the hand woven sari that continue to offer meaningful employment opportunities to millions of Indians, outgrew the otherwise simple design brief and called for meeting the larger challenges.

Earnest attempts were made with the interdisciplinary support systems of the National Institute of Design to address the needs of handwoven saris with a new perspective in order to meet the challenges of socio-cultural responsibility in design interventions. The design teams increasingly became multifarious and the collaborations in the field grew much deeper. Relationships with the market forces were redefined. Focus was brought to the empowerment of all the stakeholders from raw materials to production to distribution. The unique concept of ‘technologically-enabled-design-studio-on-the-move’ worked much better compared to traditional ‘remote-control-approach’ of the designers. Long term commitment and hand holding of the producer communities was meticulously embedded in the design methodology. Working for the handwoven sari sector in India now calls for many new capabilities that were traditionally not considered by the textile designers. The book, ‘Indian Saris: Traditions – Perspectives – Design’ derives considerably from such ideas and first hand experiences. The deliberations call for equilibrating the needs and aspired priorities of the sari weavers, designers and the users in a well considered design process. An approach that not only creates the products that will sell but also nurtures the indigenous practices and identities to flourish. The initial chapters in the book articulating the history and typology of the Indian sari traditions from the point of view of skills, materials, techniques and innate human creativity and people centricity, provide a backdrop to the reader to understand this new approach of Indian design in the traditional sari weaving sector of India.

At the turn of the 21st century, official records show that there are 6.55 million handloom weavers in the country. Nearly half of them are engaged in sari weaving itself. Further, a sizable number of people engaged in activities like supply of raw materials, sales and marketing gain from the industry. With over 80% of these artisans being inhabitants of rural areas, the industry continues to remain the second largest provider of alternate employment after agriculture in the rural economy of India. Most importantly, with items made by hand using locally available materials, often with the use of simple tools, most crafts practices are sustainable and environment friendly. Unlike any other form of dress, the saris of India frequently function beyond their basic role of ornamentation or utility. The inherent innovativeness and diversity of the sari traditions exemplify that the sari weavers continue to have tremendous amount of creativity. Each tradition in itself is such a relevant concept that it lends many ideas to set-up new formats of creative industries for much needed economic progress in the region. This book is a tribute to the great Indian master weavers.

The premise of this publication is that the emerging issues and problems related to the sustenance and development of Indian textiles and fashions are very different from what they were in the past. With the changes in socio-cultural and economic profile of consumers, there needs to be a reassessment of the original objectives of design in this sector. While many of the problems from the past may continue to exist, new environment calls for a difference in approach and methodologies by designers and policy makers. The attempt of this book is also to establish new connections between our age old traditions and the advent of modernity. I am hopeful that the effort to demystify design through this book to make it understood by a larger cross section of people in India and across the world will be rewarded through your valuable feedback and suggestions.

Before I conclude, I wish to share that putting together this book was a long and arduous task. Two individuals who constantly motivated and encouraged me in this initiative are Shobit Arya and Shrikrishna Kulkarni. I stand enriched with a redefined friendship with both. My sincere gratitude to both of you present here. I thank everyone at NID who actively supported this work particularly, the Director - NID, and my colleague Shilpa Das who is heading Publications at NID.

Thank you very much.

THE INDIAN SARI: AN UNENDING METAMORPHOSIS

Prof Shilpa Das with the publication, 'Indian Saris: Traditions - Perspectives - Design'

The poetry of the Indian sari is matchless and paeans celebrating it abound in the rich corpus of Indian literature. The sweep of globalization, however, has seen India struggle to preserve the glory of this traditional and cultural artifact while at the same time assimilating new influences from other cultures. This is reminiscent of India’s post-independence years, when numerous attempts were made to preserve the fledgling handloom sector. The humble charkha had to make way for the technologically superior power looms; the aim being, India’s swift economic progress. What continues to ail the Indian handloom industry and typifies the struggle for survival of the ubiquitous sari is the attitude that the traditional and indigenous are to be dismissed as banal. It is in this context that a well-researched book on saris becomes highly relevant. Indian Saris: Traditions, Perspectives, Design by Vijai Singh Katiyar seeks to and succeeds in demystifying the Indian sari, while still maintaining that the magic hidden in the rustle and drapes of a sari will continue to remain inexplicable.

The book confirms the sari’s deep entrenchment in the Indian cultural fabric and affirms that attempts to trace the chronological authenticity of sari weaving in India are reductive. It culls out insights such as how in Indian society, weaving was traditionally looked upon as a noble art form that enriched spiritual thinking and contemporary material culture. Towards this end, it undertakes an intrepid historical journey beginning with ancient India the Indus Valley Civilisation, the confluence of Aryan and Dravidian cultures, through the Magadhan, Mauryan and Satvahana empires, the Pallava and Chola dynasties to give ample proof of the practice of handloom weaving, cotton farming, the art of dyeing and the tradition of weaving unstitched garments in India. An interesting feature of the book is the reference to temple architecture of the south; photographs show how human forms carved out on the walls present unique styles of draping the unstitched garment, a predecessor of the modern day sari. While the book concedes the patronage to the garment lent by the local royals, it generally refers to the arrival of the British Raj as portending the decline and degradation of the Indian textile tradition.

The chapter, ‘Sari: The Traditions’ traverses a wide range and describes nineteen different saris worn in various parts of India: from Andhra cotton saris to, Asavali, Patola, Baluchari, Chanderi, Maheshwari, Ilkal, Paithani, Orissa silks, to saris worn by women from tribal communities. The chapter is a treat to the reader with not only vivid pictures of saris and the designs and motifs typical to each but also sketches of the looms used. In this regard, the book, with a designer’s eye, does a good job of bringing out the finer nuances of each type of sari: historical background, colour palettes, recurrent motifs and patterns, variations, draping style, weaving techniques and looms used. It is in the variety it covers that the book scores over many of its competitors in the market.

One of the most interesting chapters of the book is the one on sari draping. It discusses the various cultural influences that led to the evolution of draping styles of the sari. The best aspect of this section is the inclusion of coloured sketches that capture in minute detail the various styles in which the sari can be draped. The book draws one’s attention to the fact that religious beliefs and rulers of a region influenced the lifestyle of the people living in a particular region. The attire was a strong determinant of the wearer’s personal, occupational and social status.

The book observes how designs on woven saris have undergone a complete transformation in contemporary times in keeping with ‘societal needs, intercultural exchanges, environmental factors and the pressing need to keep pace with the ever changing perception of perfection and utility’. It also gives details of various exhibitions that were held to spread awareness about the repertoire of handloom woven fabrics in India, while at the same time endeavouring to improve the condition of the weavers and craftspersons involved.

In pointing out timely design intervention as potentially capable of understanding people’s needs and aspirations, the author evokes his many years of experience in the sector. He urges that competition to the sari from other forms of attire, makes it imperative to connect with contemporary users of the sari. It is the ‘aspirational value’ and ‘functional reliability’ of a product that characterises its design components. The book cautions that the design interventions suggested must be objective and application-oriented, or else they will defeat the very purpose for which they have been created. The book enlists eight major issues that have hampered the introduction of appropriate design intervention endeavours. An important distinction is made between how a ‘customer’ and ‘user’ relate to a product. The book says a customer derives satisfaction by purchasing a product as he/she has the power of affordability. The user, on the other hand ‘seeks performance driven functional products that provide a completely new experience’.

The book draws attention to the creation of cooperatives which would focus on ‘liberating the weaver from the perennial problems and exploitation involved in seeking regular work from the middlemen and selling their produce’. In this context, the author notes with sadness that many handloom weavers produce commodities that are dictated by the demands of the intermediaries and not of the market or consumers.

The book gives prominence to design research and discusses how such research can help our complex textile traditions to survive. Katiyar affirms that modern textile design practice is research-oriented, thus enabling the handloom sector to come up with a comprehensive product range to meet consumer demands. Emphasising the need for design communication in the sari sector, he points out that ‘design must communicate its intention clearly at the very outset in the most sensitive manner.’ Sari traditions must be in tandem with the demands of the contemporary markets. Katiyar’s contention that the need to introduce innovations in design is limited due to the ‘structured approach of traditional Indian aesthetics’ which contrasts with the ‘unrestrained contradictions of modern creative expressions’ is debatable. However, it raises some important and sensitive questions about the dismal condition of handloom saris. Katiyar’s underscoring of the role of design communication is worth noting because the communication material currently used by the handloom sector is good enough neither to spread awareness on the value of the products nor to appeal to the emotions of the consumers. Indian Saris: Traditions, Perspectives, Design, does not restrict itself to being a mere documentation on the aesthetic details about saris in India. A distinguishing feature of this book is its emphasis on the current practice of textile design in India and the repercussions of various policies on the textile sector. It succeeds in establishing that no other attire, but the sari, is versatile enough to capture the diverse traditions, styles and the immense cultural melting pot of India. For the richness of its visuals, for the perspectives on design, the book is definitely worth a buy. (Shilpa Das with Helga Govindan)

Prof. Shilpa Das, a critical theorist, is faculty at NID in the Interdisciplinary Design Studies department. She teaches in and heads the Science & Liberal Arts programmes. Currently she is also Head of NID publications.