Capsule Collection- Kala Cotton + Ikat

It's happening.
We are beyond thrilled to announce the launch of our new collection (a small and limited one this time). Check it out here.

April 2023, we headed off to Delhi for a 7-day exhibition- Dastkar to disrupt traditional retailing. Dastkar works to support traditional Indian craftspeople, many of them women and village-based, intending to help craftspeople regain their place in the economic mainstream, in a country where the craft sector is second only to agriculture in providing employment. The experience was nothing short of inspiring. We want to share part of this beautiful story (in both pictures and words) with you. We hope you'll enjoy it as much as us.

Among the cornucopia of unbearably beautiful crafts and artisans, we were mesmerized by the weavers of Uzbekistan weaving intricate ikat fabrics. Kaleidoscoping vibrant colors and patterns into 20 inches of width isn't an easy task.

Today, ikat (or abr as they are called in Uzbek, from the Persian for ‘cloud’) has become one of Uzbekistan’s best-known trademarks, captivating the whole world with its distinctive beauty.

PROCESS

One of the most important instruments in silk weaving is the traditional loom, or dukon as Uzbek masters call it. They are usually made from hard or dense wood such as walnut or mulberry. An 8-remise loom uses more silk threads than a 2-remise loom, and the woven fabric is brighter and more colorful.

Considerable time and effort go into producing a roll of abr fabric and each stage is extremely labor-intensive, requiring great dexterity from the specialized master. Firstly, threads are wound onto special looms (charkh). The threads are subsequently separated into fine strands, and then the chizmakash artist can draw the lengthway pattern.

After this, sections of the threads are tightly bound or ‘reserved’ so that the dye does not penetrate these sections, leaving them free for other color schemes. The threads are then dyed. A specialized gulabardor master sorts the threads for the fabric and prepares them for the dukon loom. At this stage, the full pattern is revealed in all its glory and the master weaver sets to work.

IDEA

We spent days with these artisans understanding processes, problems, and techniques. Also found out they had some last off-the-roll leftover fabrics with them. At this point, we were still contemplating our designs for the rain-fed Kala Cotton (read more here) collection. And so, we decided to procure the leftover fabrics to patch up with our vegetable-dyed kala cotton for this tiny collection to appreciate the skill and beauty of this ancient craft. Due to the limited quantities of the ikat fabric, each piece is one of a kind.

LEARNING

Our biggest learning wasn’t so much a fact or statistic (although there were many) but a deeper appreciation for the role these crafts play in our lives, the land and people, and the passion behind the weaving community. Those involved in this had remarkable knowledge and an understanding of the broader impact of craft textiles. And it wasn't just with a perspective for what that means now, but with an understanding of what that may mean for the future. It was very encouraging.

Made it this far? Check out the collection here.
Thoughts? Questions? Ideas? You can always write back at info@whakato.com

Himanshi x