"Design for Indian Saris' in a Indo-Italian Seminar at NID

The Financial Express - making a business sense of Indian Saris

To read this review, click on the link through title of this post.

Indian Sari in 'Ahmedabad Mirror'

Indo-Finnish Design for Maheshwari Sari Weavers

Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh is the home of one of India's finest handloom sari woven with distinctive designs. As is the case with many handloom clusters in India, for the issues of sustainability of traditional form of weaving, it has become necessary to search new design idioms that could connect with the aspirations of modern consumers in high-value markets for the benefit of the traditional weavers.

In a unique initiative for extending cutting-edge design support to the Maheshwari weavers, the idea of bringing together designers from Finland and India was explored. The initiative is led by Liisa Piitulainen-Numminen and Amita Sahaya through Findia Foundation, New Delhi. The seeds of this project were sown about a year back in a round table at the Finnish Embassy in New Delhi where some well-known Design experts from both the countries participated and discussed the strategy and level of this international partnership. The project is being supported by the Office of the Development Commissioner, Handlooms, India. The idea is to carry out contextual product innovation and create new market linkages for Maheshwari fabrics. This collaborative project between Indian and Finnish designers and the crafts persons involves:

• Innovative Product design
• Knowledge-exchange between India & Finland
• Assimilation of Indian traditions and the user-centric approach of Finnish Design
• Exploring high-end value segments in export markets
• Introduction of design innovations for greater penetration into the domestic market
• Sustainable approach to Maheshwari fabrics, with particular focus on women weavers to enhance their opportunities and empowerment

First set of new design collections are now ready to be launched at Habitare Fare ’09 from 9-13 September 2009. I am happy that the design intervention makes comprehensive use of the ideas and approaches discussed in “Indian Saris: Traditions – Perspectives – Design” and has benefitted.

Indian Saris in the Italian newspaper, La Stampa

Valeria Fraschetti, an Italian journalist working for the Italian newspaper La Stampa recently approached and interviewed for making an article on how Indian fashion is changing and less and less women are wearing saris nowadays. Her questions and the answers are shared here;

VF: Many young urban girls nowadays look at the sari like an impractical "grandmother's garment". Is this because of the growing "westernisation" of Indian fashion trends? Or it may also due to the availability of cheaper garments than saris?

VSK: Yes. It is true to a great extent that there has been westernisation of Indian fashion trends especially amongst the younger generations. Perception of saris in traditional sense has been more as an element connecting within a scheme of cultural ideology and philosophy that represented a traditional way of life. After the medieval period of India, the notion of 'fashion' as understood by younger generation of today, has neither been the approach nor the aspiration of most sections of Indian society. In the subsequent era, the age-old cultural dynamism weakened and social norms became increasingly rigid.

Since independence, western model in education, rapid urbanisation and enhanced awareness through multiple means of communication have been the factors that are fast modifying the individual notions of progressiveness and modernity. The perception of many young people has changed towards the way they dress up. As they see affluence of western ideas, many are inclined to consider western fashion synonymous to freedom and liberation. Ideas of fashion also come to discarding things that are old. Research on this subject reveals -- though many among urban youth consider the sari impractical as everyday wear-- they are giving up saris more due to a desperate search for new identity that identifies with being 'cosmopolitan' and 'global'. Many amongst youth no longer want to be associated with some specific old customs and values that have plagued the Indian society since long. Western fashion is in a way their sense of protest against the rigidity of unjust social norms that are often seen resisting the change.

Cost factor does not have much relevance in this case as a range of equally cheap saris have always been available in the market. Nowadays also the market is full of printed and power loom produced low-cost saris.

VF: Though many Indian women still love to wear saris at formal occasions such as wedding, would you say that sari is going to be a dying garment?

VSK: Despite odds, the use of saris continues amongst many Indian women. The market size is still very large. They are worn by the women who either value the aesthetic nuances of complex Indian culture (as in case of educated urban class) or by the ones who need to comply with established norms of their immediate social environment (as in case of most women from rural India).

Sari represents the elements of diverse cultural identities in collective sense. Though there are many influences that have been assimilated in the culture and social structure —as we witness in history of India — traditional cultural practices down the ages are considered to be a personal privilege by most Indians. It would be perhaps too paranoid a view to consider it as a dying garment. But we can easily say that it is under transition and transformation; much more than ever before. While the dimensions and format of sari have now become standard, modes of its surface ornamentation have become varied and experimental. Sari that was once only handcrafted, with the developments in technology and fashion, is now being experimented with many ways of production processes and drapes. While many other forms of traditional costumes have gone in oblivion, sari continues to withstand the pressures of modern lifestyles. Its survival is also due to the intrinsic style statement that connects a sari flawlessly to both traditional mindset as well as modern outlook. With the progress in economic terms and in education, there is renewed interest of Indian women seen in saris. I am keen to add that it’s only the demand for cotton saris, which were used for everyday wear, has sharply declined. But at the same time, the demand for many exquisite varieties has gone up as women having more disposable income prefer to buy expensive sari for occasional wear. Even the women who seldom wear saris keep buying them as a precious possession in their wardrobes. So in certainty it is not an end for saris. As Indian fashion and design industry matures, we may soon witness new trends with saris.

VF: The handloom weaver community famous for their saris, such is the one in Varanasi, are facing a hard time. Imports from China and shifting taste in fashion have their share of responsibility for this situation. In your opinion, what can be done to help those weavers meet the changing fashion taste in Indian society?

VSK: The key character of traditional creative industries in India such as in hand looms has been evolution through innovation. Most traditional sari weaving centres, such as the one in Varanasi, are facing difficulties due to frozen attitude towards the innovation. The inherent dynamism is lost to a great extent. It’s not so much for the flagging capabilities of weavers or competitive open markets but more due to recurrently constricted policy framework that lacks vision and nurturance from the support mechanism that is devoid of innovation-led dynamism. While traders and qualified ones gain more control in the matters of hand looms, the weavers await much needed recognition and returns for their creative labour. The systems need to recognise and facilitate the weavers through appropriate modes of intelligence and creative means of entrepreneurship. Most existing institutions set up for this purpose lack the necessary talent to do so -- or they still need to inculcate sensitivity to deal with creativity and culture driven industry. Awareness, promotion and distribution are some important issues besides many other challenges that need creative solutions.

VF: Is there still a language of saris? How much can a sari design or way it is folded tell about the cast or the economical status of a woman? Can you make a couple of example, pls?

VSK: As far as design styles of sari are concerned, despite some overlaps, fortunately the design language of most traditional styles still remains distinctive. But its draping styles have come to be more uniform. It is the 'ulta-pallav’ style that has become very popular across India. 'Sidha-pallav’ style is seen amongst elderly, economically weaker sections and in rural parts.

Distinctions in draping styles based on the caste have now nearly become extinct, essentially as most people do not wish to be associated with a particular caste. Some interesting styles can be seen on religious and ceremonial occasions of tradition loving communities. For example, kachcha style of drape amongst Maharashtrians, and the distinctive drape styles of Tamil Aiyer and Aiyanger community women. Many tribal communities across Bihar, Chattisgarh, West Bengal and Orissa are upholding their traditional and unique styles of drapes. What is changing rapidly in case of tribal cultures is that the cheap mill printed synthetic saris are replacing the traditional hand-woven saris due to economic compulsions.

Sonia Gandhi appreciates, 'Indian Saris: Traditions - Perspectives - Design'

Since its International launch the book 'Indian Saris: Traditions - Perspectives - Design' in third week of April, 2009 much appreciation and encouragement has been coming from many eminent individuals and experts from across the continents. These kind words reaffirm our belief that the book is receiving the interest of many. Once again, it is heartening to share that President of Indian National Congress Party Ms Sonia Gandhi --in her message sent to Wisdom Tree, the publisher--has appreciated the book and sent her best wishes for its success.
Indeed a big encouragement for all of us concerned with this publication celebrating Indian handloom weavers and their iconic designs for saris.

Design for Indian Textiles and Fashion: Traditions to Modernity

Panel discussion on the above topic was a part of the event that coincided with the launch of the publication, Indian Saris: Traditions—Perspectives—Design at the Nehru Centre, London on 20 April 2009. The discussion was moderated by Karen Spurgin, a senior consultant designer from UK. The other members from UK included Sophie Roet, Design Consultant; Prof Jimmy Stephen-Cran, GSA; and Dr. Eiluned Edwards, V&A scholar. Shashank Mehta and Vijai Singh Katiyar were on the panel from India. Each panelist initially introduced the approach of textile and fashion design from the point of view of their own country and experience. Besides other important points, the overall view that emerged was for the need to collaborate and work together in the area of Indian crafts and textiles. Some of the panel experts who have had the contacts with India amply lauded the potentials of and possibilities with Indian crafts and handlooms. But they also laid emphasis on the need for endeavors that could go beyond the mere simple design interventions and deal with complex social and cultural issues as well. Many delegates also actively participated in the later part of discussions and shared their insights. All the panel members agreed to further collaborate and continue this dialogue in meaningful ways. The chief guest Lady Shreela Flather also took an active interest and participated in this discussion. A summary of the contributions made by each panel member is as below:

Shashank Mehta
Shashank Mehta articulated various approaches that NID has developed over the last five decades working with the traditional crafts sector in India. He stressed on the significance of sustained inputs and handholding while working with the crafts and craft communities. In his opinion, designers working with the crafts persons in India often need to go beyond providing simple design solutions contributing only to the look and function of the craft products—they also need to take up the priority of improving the quality of life of the artisans through the design initiatives. Otherwise it is frequently seen that design in the crafts sector has been mostly benefiting the designers only—not the artisans working in far flung areas. Many Indian crafts continue to struggle for sustenance and survival. Therefore the focus must be on devising a holistic approach. It has been realized over and over again that the design interventions for the informal sectors and at the grass root level demand much different methodologies than what is practiced for the design and product development in most other sectors of the industry.

He pointed out that now with the overly saturated market conditions, there is a visible demand for the customization of various products and services—crafts provide this opportunity as their inherent strength. Design in crafts, with its intrinsic understanding of the interaction between the object and the user, thus can greatly leverage the traditional crafts to help reach out to the international markets with a clear focus on the needs of target audience.

Shashank also put forth the proposal that the aim of the panel discussion should lead to objective integration of emerging ideas that can further be utilized for the enrichment of Indian crafts and the design profession in form of meaningful strategy. Thereon a situation specific approach for Indian crafts could be detailed out that helps to take them beyond their existing opportunities. He felt that a continuous knowledge exchange with the international design fraternity for the ways to empower the craft communities in India is a much desirable approach today and perhaps the way forward.

Eiluned Edwards
Eiluned lived in Gujarat for several years in the 1990s and have return every year for further research, liaising with craftspeople, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), entrepreneurs and state agencies. For several years now she has been in active touch with these artisans and therefore has been able to closely witness the needs and potentials of the crafts practice in India. In her opinion Indian crafts and their practice offer a viable option for socio-economic development. Rural craftspeople miss opportunities because they do not have direct access to markets because of geography in the case of those in rural areas, and language. She also made the point that NID has never admitted the son or daughter of a craftperson to any of its courses – this may be because of language but is significant. If the country’s premier design institution purports to support craft traditions, and has identified the need for professional design intervention in order to sustain and develop them, it would seem to her that training the rising generation of craftspeople would be an obvious step.

Eiluned also talked about the foundation of Gujarat State Handicrafts Development Corporation and Gurjari in 1973 and their role in re-juvenating craft. She drew attention to the recent work of NID in producing Handmade in India, a compendium of Indian craft, long overdue, which after 40+ years consolidated the admirable craft documentation since 1961 Census. She pointed out the significant role of NGOs in craft development; their sustained input at grassroots has been one of the key factors in creating opportunities for craftspeople, developing training (computers, language, etc) and opening up access to new markets through exhibitions and sales events. Due to the inherent diversity in expression and design vocabulary, Indian crafts are relevant to international customers. Therefore it is important that the design fraternity should come forth to play a pivotal role in bringing in viability and support to the crafts practice in India. Many revival efforts in the craft development have sustained and have initiated many young people in India to take up working with the crafts as their profession. She felt happy that with the intervention of many institutions, revival of many traditional and environment friendly practices such as the use of natural dyes could become possible in the crafts sector. She called for enhanced efforts in such directions through a collaborative approach.

Sophie Roet
Sophie recounted her experience working with the Indian artisans in Kolkata where she had utilized available crafts skills for development of new range of products suited to the taste of the western markets. Her designs are showcased by Victoria & Albert Museum as well. She reaffirmed the continued interest for traditional Indian handicrafts and skills in the west. She however felt that the issue of quality in design and workmanship, crucial for crafts to succeed in the market, is a priority area that should be strengthened in a focused manner. Maintaining the quality as part of craft production and product specifications should be a key concern of designers working with Indian crafts sector. Often one finds the quality parameters fluctuating with the levels of wage compensation given to the artisans. While the artisans should be offered reasonable rewards for their labor, devising capability enhancement support systems and their effectiveness is also necessary to achieve desirable level of quality.

Empathetic approach to crafts and the environment within which artisans operate can help designers to effectively perform their much needed mediatory role to connect traditional crafts with the contemporary markets. Development of new collections using design vocabulary of Indian Crafts—using available skills and fresh ideas for a product—could also offer meaningful possibility for socio-economic development. There should not be any conflict of commercial and social development goals in the context of crafts in Indian sub-continent. Overall, Sophie felt that there is much better promise working with crafts persons in the region when compared to hand production in China. Innovative craft-based products and quality could be produced better in India with adequate inputs and supervision by designers. However the norms of payment to the crafts persons must also be justifiable.

Karen Spurgin
Besides moderating the panel discussion, Karen also contributed her own perspective on the subject. She recounted the design sensibilities and prerequisites that are necessary for making good quality textiles using handicraft techniques and resources. She richly embedded her perspective with own experience of developing new design collections for a US based company called Dosa. A good amount of production for Dosa takes place in India involving artisans from many regions. In a situation like this when the market, the designer, and the production are located far apart, there are many unique issues that need to be constantly addressed and resolved. Therefore a careful synthesis of market intelligence and the possibilities from a traditional craft resource must be realized by the designer for the product to be viable and successful in the niche markets.

Karen stated that variety of hand work needed in many design collections for Dosa can’t be done in UK. Whereas there are people in India who still continue to practice unique craft techniques. There is a good range of skills and diverse design resources that the crafts have to offer. With her specific experiences, Karen feels that the work and skills from the country are of good quality—it is worthwhile to work with Indian crafts. There is indeed good potential and opportunity that continues to exist in international markets.

Jimmy Stephen-Cran
Jimmy reflected on several ideas and made interesting observations. While appreciating the possibilities of weaving he questioned if designers of tomorrow are really interested in weaving. His observation was based on a visible trend amongst a large number of students who graduate from textile and fashion schools in Europe. The students often find weaving repetitive and cumbersome. Most of them after leaving the school do not weave. He also reflected on his concern about learning preferences of Indian students coming to UK for study. Many of them try to disassociate with their own cultural roots and want to orient themselves more towards the western ways of doing things. Jimmy felt that such tendencies create a visible division with conflict of Eastern versus Western in learning and knowledge—whereas the preferred approach should have been complementary.

While appreciating the Indian heritage of crafts and design and its contributions to the rest of the world, Jimmy pointed out a few examples of design elements and concepts for their relevance in contemporary world. Paisley motif from India was overwhelmingly appreciated and adopted by people of UK. He candidly said that now it is payback time for the design fraternity from UK through their creative contributions for the further development of Indian crafts. He added that future is all about integration of globalization with sustainability—wherein, to his opinion, India seems to have an edge due to its traditional and other cultural practices. Recycling is one such example. Take the concept of sustainable fashion—India does it better than Europe. Knowledge of vegetable dyeing in India is far better than anywhere else.

Jimmy emphasized the need to rediscover the relevance of traditional textiles and fashions with a contemporary context. There could be ample research and development interests common to the design fraternity from UK and India under this broad topic. Parallels could be drawn between kilt from UK, a traditional Scottish highland dress, and Indian saris while reinventing the cultural context and ideas for sustainable practices for textiles and fashions of our times. Both these traditional products have rich legacy and strong links to regional identity.

Vijai Singh Katiyar
Vijai gave an overview of the breadth and depth of Indian textile industry as a whole and the specific contributions made by the handloom sector from socio-economic point of view. He talked about the increased relevance of handlooms and handicrafts as means to providing sustainable means of economic activities in the era of globalization. For a country like India diverse strategies in socio-economic development are required with multiple forms of culturally deep-rooted creative ideas so that a large number of people in remote corners of the country could find alternate source of meaningful employment without getting displaced from their roots. Prevailing scenario of cultural practices, social structures and local resources in India are inherently conducive to diverse forms of craft practices. In most cases where the crafts are ailing it is due to improper connect between traditional knowledge and influences of modern lifestyles. The need is to rejuvenate the crafts through the contemporary means of design and customized support of policy conducive to growth in most cases. Due to their diversity Indian crafts offer a reservoir of creative energy due to merits of core ideas, creative concepts and sustainable processes.

Towards the end, Vijai called for enhanced future collaboration between art and design fraternity from both, UK and India, especially for the cause of the Indian crafts. He felt that many formats of associations and collaborative initiatives should be concurrently carried out for Indian crafts through design research and knowledge creation; customization of knowledge and its dissemination; exchanges, networking and support systems; and creation of market linkages and promotion.

"Indian Saris: Traditions - Perspectives - Design" is now available in United States of America

Shobit Arya is back from the US trip. "The response to Indian saris has been very good.", informs the publisher. Besides many other online stores including Amazon where the book is already available, Barnes & Noble bookstores will maintain an inventory across their appropriate large stores.

Design Explorations for Cover Jacket

A number of design options for cover jacket of 'Indian Saris: Traditions - Perspectives - Design' were explored before arriving at the final one. It was quite a creative effort designing the layout of this book as we aspired it to be visually delighting for the readers. Designing the cover that could satisfy both Shobit Arya, the publisher and me was the process that led to so many explorations. Special photograhy sessions were also organised just to shoot the pictures for cover. Some of the earlier layouts of the cover are shown above.

Excerpts from an interview with ‘Trellis’ *

Trellis: What is this book all about and who is the target audience?
V.S.K.: With the backdrop of Indian socio-cultural and economic ethos, sari reflects the true panache of resilient Indian weavers. New designs, layouts and drapes of sari have always been the manifestation of evolutionary character of Indian sensibilities. From the range of uncut and untailored Indian textiles, saris—the mesmerising woven yards that have draped the Indian women since time immemorial—are the most evolved textile products for which the Indian pit loom was specifically engineered and perfected.

The book, ‘Indian Saris: Traditions-Perspectives-Design,’ co-published by the Wisdom Tree, India, and the National Institute of Design, India, attempts to rediscover the hand-woven sari from a textile designer’s point of view. It analyses Indian sari traditions for its conceptual strengths that are relevant to the contemporary markets. The publication upholds the sari as an epitome of holistic design with a unique cultural expression. It also showcases the meaningful engagement of contemporary Indian design with the traditional handloom industry of India. 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. The new environment calls for a reassessment of the original objectives, approaches, and methodologies of design in this sector. The attempt of this book is also to establish new connections between the traditions and modernity. Its visually rich content makes it of interest to designers, students, policy makers, technocrats, marketers, and businesspersons besides all those who are interested in Indian art, culture, design, and fashion.

Trellis: What led to the making of this book?
V.S.K.: During last two decades, as result of many assignments undertaken for the handloom sector in different parts of the country, fairly good first hand insights were gained. Each one of these engagements offered unique experiences of regional cultures and led to valuable understanding of living traditions of sari. Design and its comprehensiveness play a vital role in the growth and development of the handloom sector. Though hand-woven sari is inherently design driven, very little has been published on this sector by the designers themselves. 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 have barely been touched upon—a visible gap that this endeavour aims to bridge by presenting the sari and its nuances afresh from a designer’s perspective for the benefit of common audience. Role of Indian design in the traditional handloom sector and meaningful contributions made by textile designers is an important focus of this book. Design elements from the traditional practice of sari can contribute immensely for the future growth of the textile industry in many innovative ways. Ideas such as these have led to the making of this book.

Trellis: What has been the process that went into its making of “Indian Saris: Traditions – Perspectives – Design”?
V.S.K.: Concerted efforts went into the making of this book, which began in 2004 when the new saris designed for Kanchipuram, Paramakudi, Arni, Salem, Mannarkudi, Rasipuram, and Coimbatore handloom clusters were presented through a buyer-seller meet at Hotel Le Meridian, Chennai. The new collections received overwhelming response from the customers and the weavers alike. A fresh contemporary look was given to these saris using traditional design repertoire specific to each cluster. The design collections were culmination of an integrated approach where tenets of traditions were blended with judicious inputs of design, technology, marketing, and management. Overall strategy of the projects also included intense brand building and capability enhancement initiatives. The photographs of these collections made Wisdom Tree, the publisher, interested and we jointly constructed our plans to do a very different kind of book on saris including contextual approaches for design interventions. The idea was also to celebrate fifty years of formal design profession in India and its achievements. Since the aim was to make the book visually prolific, it was decided to capture both, panoramic as well as micro views of sari traditions and their diverse design elements.

The nature of the task was arduous as the subject of hand-woven saris is vast and its tradition is interwoven in the 5000 years of history and evolution of civilization in the Indian sub-continent. Research and content is rich as several design projects were undertaken concurrently in different parts of India while the book was in the making. Strategies and design methodologies utilized in these projects were tested and validated several times before their inclusion in the manuscript. Continuous updating of resource of visuals and first-hand data kept on supplementing already existing knowledge base and my previous experience of two decades of work with the handloom sector. The design projects took me to some far-flung villages in India where hand-weaving is still a major component of the way of life. This gave an added advantage of discovering some of the scantly known sari traditions in depth. All this along with literature research from exclusive resource of craft documentations at NID—that cover many handloom traditions of India—together formed a unique material for this publication. Analyzing and managing substantial amount of data itself was an exhilarating experience. The 840 images used in the book are carefully chosen from a collection of over six thousand visuals.

Some experiences with this publication are very special and close to my heart. Many saris featuring in this book are from my own design projects. Most data and information used are first-hand from reliable sources in the field itself and included after reasonable verification. A good number of old pictures are from the archive of last forty years giving a nostalgic experience. They shall provide the reader with contextual understanding of the weaving and draping of sari in the past. Product shoot for new sari designs was exhaustive and took over six months to photograph. Writing the captions of images was the most enjoyable part—each one presented in the form of a short story. Pictures and captions together will give a fair understanding of Indian saris even through a casual browse of the book.

An important decision was to design the book myself so that sensibility to textile materials, techniques, and processes could be retained in the final look and layout of the book. The response that we have received so far from across the world makes it possible to believe that we have fairly succeeded in this effort. Above all, many colleagues at NID and the publisher took keen interest and extended their help and co-operation at all stages of the making of the book. That enriched many relationships and of course the process became very enjoyable.

Trellis: How do you see sari on a global platform — what leads to its international appeal?
V.S.K.: Though Indian textiles were traded with many international shores since ancient times, saris were never a commodity traded with foreigners. Sari was primarily for Indian consumption. During British Raj sari designs and motifs were studied and documented for their intense appeal to the Indian masses. The British wanted to copy these designs for replicating them on the mill-made textiles manufactured for the Indian markets. A wider appreciation for saris emerged towards the end of the nineteenth century when the mobility of people across the globe started increasing due to availability of affordable means of transport. This was also the time when the rest of the world took a fresh and curious interest in India due to its awakening for freedom struggle. Subsequently with Mahatma Gandhi’s call for Swadeshi goods, Indian women re-embraced saris as a symbol of national pride and identity. Most Indians who migrated and settled in other countries also carried with them the tradition of saris. However, it is the pursuit of the modern world hungry for new knowledge and experiences that has led to deep explorations in old civilizations and cultures and has brought the Indian saris to the centre of the global platform in true sense. Today, world over sari as an iconic Indian product, is deeply admired for the remarkable endurance of its many traditions even under the extreme pressures of cultural invasion and evolution. Saris are appreciated for their elegance, style, and diversity of design language. The concepts, motifs, colours and layouts of saris have frequently been used by creative professionals as powerful resource of design and ornamentation. Many textiles that are used world over today were originally inspired from the technology and rich design vocabulary of saris. Fashion designers too have experimented with many traditional styles of drapes and ornamentation. In last few decades, there has been a profuse use of saris in home textiles, made-ups, and accessories. Many modern creative professionals dealing with forms of new media are often found inspired with classical compositions, formats, layouts, and ornamentation of Indian saris. And the reservoir of aesthetics and utilitarian concepts do not show the sign of getting exhausted. There is still a lot that is yet to be discovered about many regional styles of saris—and it adds to the mysticism and curiosity necessary for future developments. Therefore, I can comfortably presume that Indian sari will continue to gain greater international recognition in future. In decades to come we shall expect many more research initiatives in this area especially by designers, technologists, historians, and cultural anthropologists.

Trellis: How do you perceive the past, present and future of saris — How has the demand and the concept of saris been changed from the time it came into existence; the changes, the development, etc?
V.S.K.: India is perhaps the only country that presents unbroken legacy of its many living traditions. Though there are many influences that have assimilated in the culture and social structure—as we witness in earlier history of India—traditional cultural practices down the ages are considered to be a personal privilege by most Indians. Weight of tradition and force of public opinion had always characterized the typical behaviours and customs since ancient times. Even in today’s era of globalization and scientific logic such tendencies refuse to wane. There is distinct demarcation between the code of conduct for ‘professional-public’ and ‘social-personal’ life. While former is open to global influences and increasingly getting westernized, latter is largely governed by sensibilities that people consider traditional or truly Indian. There is a distinct contrast in dressing styles of most people for each of these lifestyle domains. However some deviations are visible—particularly in case of urban population—where people attempt to fuse western and Indian idea of dressing. Western outfits are frequently considered more functional portraying progressive outlook, but Indian styles and ornamentation are also commonly integrated to satisfy the innate need for identity or to self-impose compliances to the acceptable social and traditional norms. The needs pertaining to this complex issue of sensibilities have led to the evolution of numerous forms of fashion that are hybrid in character. Even saris have not remained untouched with this approach and agenda. While the dimensions and format of sari have now become standard, modes of its surface ornamentation have become varied and experimental. Sari that was once only handcrafted, with the developments in technology and fashion, is now being experimented with many ways of production processes and drapes.

I am inclined to thank the dynamic assimilation of external influences and resulting evolution that is responsible for making saris continue to rule the heart of most Indian women. While some other forms of Indian costumes have gone in oblivion, sari still continues to withstand the pressures of modern lifestyles. Its survival is also due to the intrinsic style statement that connects a sari flawlessly to both traditional mindset as well as modern outlook. It upholds modesty and dignity but at the same time it could also be worn to exude sensuous glamour. It all depends on the choices made by the user herself. However with increased number of Indian women choosing to take up professional career, the demand for many varieties of cotton saris, which were used for everyday wear, has sharply declined. But at the same time, the demand for many exquisite varieties has gone up as women having more disposable income prefer to buy expensive sari as an occasional wear. Even the women who seldom wear saris keep buying them as a precious possession for their wardrobes. Most weavers and designers today carry out new developments in this category only.

In recent decades, the core concepts of sari have also been taken forward for product diversification to provide economic advantage to the weaver communities. Stoles, scarves, curtain panels, yardage for Indian dresses like salwar kurta, etc. are good examples of this approach that has proved successful in the marketplace.

Trellis: How do you sari and its place in the Indian textile industry?
V.S.K.: By virtue of huge domestic market that is multi-tier and multi-segment, sari is one of the most important products for the Indian textile industry. If we take into account woven, printed, embroidered, and other handcrafted varieties together and also include the production from handloom and power loom sectors, the official statistics for the last 10 years reflect that a sari is the only textile product in India that has registered a sustained 7–8% growth annually. It’s only the traditional hand woven varieties that continue to suffer due to inappropriate policy of government and stagnant innovation in handloom sector since many decades. But the power loom sector has capitalized a lot by producing printed and woven saris. It offers cheaper variations and caters mainly to huge but lower market segments. Sari production has been the backbone of decentralized power loom sector in India. In the current scenario, there is need for national conscience to understand that the meaningful existence of the handloom sector in India depends on continuity of sari weaving. It should be a matter of our serious concern if we truly value handloom traditions as unique components of Indian heritage. Handloom fabrics are unique and add value to the range of textiles that only India can offer to the world.

Trellis: Why sari is so important for our time? Are there some relevant connections that are useful to socio-economic development?
V.S.K.: Over 60% population in India still lives in villages and semi-urban areas where crafts and handloom weaving are the only alternate source of meaningful employment activity besides agriculture. For many, handlooms and weaving are the only productive activity accessible. Since ages handlooms have supported a large number of artisans and their families in much sustainable manner. Looking at the socio-cultural dimensions and geo-demographic profiles of such regions sari weaving offers vast potential for employment generation. As I said earlier saris still have a huge market within the country but it is the existing systems and overbearing support mechanisms that are failing our talented weavers. We need to honour our artisans and strategize their creativity to make their profession lucrative enough for younger generations of weavers to join in.

At the turn of the 21st century, official records show that there are nearly 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. In addition to simple, sustainable, innovative, and environment friendly practices the diverse sari traditions exemplify that the weavers continue to have tremendous imagination and 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 many parts of India.

Trellis: Could we know more about the book release at London?
V.S.K.: The occasion of the international launch of the book, 'Indian Saris: Traditions–Perspectives–Design' was certainly an exciting event. This first international release took place in London on 20 April 2009 at The Nehru Centre. Coinciding with the event, a panel discussion “Design for Indian Textiles and Fashion: Traditions to Modernity—UK-India deliberation,” was also organised that provided an opportunity to discuss the synergy between the traditions of Indian textile and fashion and the modern sensibilities of our times. The panel discussion was moderated by Karen Spurgin, a senior consultant designer from UK. The other members from UK included Sophie Roet, Design Consultant; Prof. Jimmy Stephen-Cran, Glasgow School of Art; and Dr. Eiluned Edwards, V&A scholar. Shashank Mehta and I were on the panel from India. The panellists introduced the approach of textile and fashion design from the point of view of their own country and experience. Here the general view that emerged was of the need to collaborate and work together in the area of Indian crafts and textiles. Some of the panel experts who have had contact with India and are aware of the activities of NID, amply lauded NID’s efforts and interventions for crafts in the past decades. They praised NID’s endeavours for the development of crafts and handlooms that have often gone beyond just simple design interventions and dealt with complex social and cultural issues as well. Most members from the design fraternity and institutions in UK actively participated in the later part of discussions and shared their experiences and insights. Many innovative ideas and possibilities came up, which will further require collaborative efforts on the part of the design and art fraternity from UK and India. The chief guest, experts on the panel discussion, and the delegates delved into engaging interaction and dialogue.

The Rt. Hon. The Baroness Flather of Windsor and Maidenhead, UK, was the Chief Guest and released the book. Her speech on the occasion instantly connected with the audience as she herself is very fond of Indian saris. Her address reflected a profound understanding and passion for the saris and Indian handicrafts. To our surprise, she had meticulously gone through the book prior to the function and described the book as the most exquisite one and a landmark achievement. To explain to the audience of UK, who may not have much understanding of the sari, she had also brought a number of saris from her personal collection and displayed them during her speech. This was an outstanding gesture of solidarity for the cause of Indian saris from her side.

Visit to the London Book Fair was amply rewarded with many visitors taking keen interest in the publication and in discussing about the handloom industry of India. Together with some of these contacts we should be able to carry forward collaborative forms of engagements with the Indian handlooms and handicrafts. London Book Fair is one of the most important book fairs. Also this year the theme for the fair was ‘India.’ We got the opportunity to meet a number of publishers and distributors. Specially, the distributors from US and UK were excited about the book and the possibilities that are emerging around it. All the buyers who visited the Wisdom Tree stall appreciated the content and the overall quality of the publication and felt that it is at par with the international standards.

Trellis: Any new plans for the future?
V.S.K.: My interest to continue working for the sari and handloom industry of India will certainly remain. The process of making this book has only deepened my concern and commitment further. About my future projects, and other initiatives for saris are going to be regularly shared with international audiences through a blog specially created for saris. It would be a good idea for me and people to wait till new plans unfold. For now I must sincerely congratulate each one who continues to support the endeavours of Indian design and its huge social and professional responsibility towards Indian handloom and handicrafts industry.

* ‘Trellis’ focuses on the latest developments in the field of Design and Research. It is a research newsletter published by the Research and Publications department of the National Institute of Design. This interview features in forthcoming issue of Trellis, to be available soon.