Young Designers 2011

		Young Designers 2011
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Vibhuti jain | vibes99@gmail.com

Maha Raasa: Collections of Hand-woven Saris from Chanderi and Benaras

Textile Design | PGDPD
Guide: Aditi Ranjan
Sponsor: Raw Mango, New Delhi

Keywords
Sari collection
Hand-weaving
Brocade
Pastels

For my diploma project, I designed two collections of saris and fabrics for the brand Raw Mango. The first was a collection of Chanderi saris and fabrics inspired by the Mogra (a variety of jasmine) flower. The second was a collection of Benaras brocades and silk fabrics based on the Pichhwais of Krishna as Srinathji.

Chanderi is known for its soft fabrics and pastel colours while Benaras is renowned for its rich brocades and unmatched weaving techniques. I explored the traditional techniques of extra weft by handpicked jala from Chanderi and kadwa work from Benaras for my designs. Though the designs were based on traditional motifs and techniques, their approach was contemporary. They cater to women between 25 to 55 years of age.

For this project, I had to understand Raw Mango’s identity and how it compared with similar brands. It also required a thorough understanding of the techniques of weaving, costing etc. I worked and communicated with weavers directly in order to get their inputs and perspectives for the designs. My design approach had to justify the requirements of the brand but at the same time it had to avoid exploitation or unnecessary modification of the weavers’ work because sometimes, over a period of time, the weavers lose the original language of their weaving tradition. I had to carefully craft my designs in accordance with the existing techniques and production costs.

Working with the weavers’ community was a very enjoyable experience and I learnt many new aspects of design.