From saris to sexy cholis, pajamas to
peplum tops and pantsuits, handloom has gone through a revolution with fashion
and design brands, both in India and internationally, swearing by the sheer
magic of this age-old fabric. Probably this is the reason why almost every
second brand in the country has a handloom line.

“Handloom, if it has to stay, has to suit
the needs of today’s youth. We see a future only if we see the younger
generations taking to it. It will have to satisfy their needs of comfort, ease
of wearing, easy maintenance and fashion sense,” Vijayalakshmi Nachiar, who
runs a brand called ‘Ethicus’ along with her husband Mani Chinnaswamy, told
Opoyi.

A collection from Ethicus range 

Calling themselves India’s first ‘farm to
fashion’ brand, this Pollachi (in Coimbatore) based brand grows their own
organic Cotton and hand-weaves it.

“I am happy to see youngsters giving the
sari a space in their wardrobe, making it their own by draping it differently,
wearing shirts, t-shirts, shoes, and boots with it, doing away with the
traditional ‘starching’ of the sari and even getting rid of the ‘petticoat’. We
need to move with the times and change our design (sic),” she added.

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Aastha Ritu Garg, the founder of handloom
brand Padmashali, says that every weave has its visual language and appeal which
sets it apart from the rest.

“Yes, the way the handloom piece is now
draped has changed or evolved over the years. For example, millennials are now
draping an Ikat or bandhani dupatta over a corset or crop top or pant-suit,
jumpsuits, etc,” Garg told Opoyi and added that what has changed now is the
draping part and color palettes of the handloom.

“Of late, the Indian celebrities like
Deepika Padukone and Anushka Sharma glamourised handloom by using it on their
auspicious days like wedding receptions where Deepika wore a Kanjivaram and
Anushka wore a Benarasi saree. A lot of young brides are also looking for the
same and this has also forwarded the interest for our weavers,” she said.

According to a report by India Brand
Equity Foundation, a trust established by the Department of Commerce, Ministry
of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, The export of handloom products
from India was valued at US$ 343.69 million in FY19. In FY20 (till November
2019), the export stood at US$ 226.05 million.

Indian fashion brand Asha Gautam, a name
synonyms with handlooms and textiles of the country, works on a new line every
season to suit the young customers while not missing the veterans’ clienteles.

 “There has been innovation in textiles right
from blending of yarns to changing of patterns and placement in designs and
this has increased the usability of these textiles. In a lot of international
runways, many handloom textiles are used with the only difference being their
design,” Gautam told Opoyi.

Indian fashion brand Asha Gautam’s range

He also says that one now sees handlooms
in cocktail dresses, drapes, ruffles, layers, capes, skirts, quirky blouses,
and they are even paired with statement pieces to give that modern-day avatar.
Not to miss, geometric patterns, calligraphy, quirky motifs, color blocking,
abstract artwork, and folk art motifs being used as motifs and patterns in
handloom.

“I remember doing it for my fusion wear
label –GG by Asha Gautam where I used a lot of Benarasi textiles for jackets,
drape sarees, lehengas with peplum tops and the response is marvelous,” he said
by adding that “If we work harder we can be the textile hub of the world which
can be beneficiary to the lowest vertical of textiles i.e. weavers.”

Not only designers, but many brands are
also looking at handlooms as the right investment.

Raghuvar Seth, Head of Marketing of brand
Taneira- the handcrafted and hand-woven textile brand from the House of Titan
Company Limited, says that “India has a long tradition in making high-quality
handloom products with extraordinary skills and craftsmanship that is unrivaled
globally.”

“It boasts of a rich heritage of diverse
textiles, weaves, and crafts. Handloom has made a big comeback in India thanks
to movements like ‘Make In India’ and ‘Go Vocal For Local’. The trend of
weaving Indian handlooms and crafts into fashion has captured the fancy of a
younger audience and runways alike,” he told Opoyi.

There is a need for brands to work towards
modernizing the age-old fabrics to cater to the evolving demands of consumers
today, he says.

“Younger audiences are preferring to use
different kinds of handloom products in their daily lives like sarees, salwar
kameez, stoles, blazers, handbags, wallets, footwear, home décor items, etc.
There is an earnest appreciation for the handloom products across the age
groups. Also, the fact that the fabric is natural, breathable and comfortable
on skin further adds to its functionality,” he said.

Even Dusala, a Kashmir-based pashmina
shawl brand, is also enjoying the new wave of handloom especially after the
COVID-19 pandemic.

“Change is the only constant which keeps
us all going! I strongly feel with the World going digital more after the
pandemic, the process of making the same designs will no longer appeal to the
people. Emerging handloom pashmina trend is the introduction of Zari with
Pashmina to make it look more trendy and occasion oriented,” said Shiva Kedia.

Added co-founder Sugandha, “ The Pashmina
industry this year is working more on reversible shawls and stoles keeping in
mind pandemic is driven by cash crunch.”

So this Gandhi Jayanti, add a piece of
handloom to your closet.