Fashion based on tradition, not fantasy

It wasn't coincidence that Sampa Das, Shamlu Dudeja, Darshan Shah and Chitra Sirkar were all there at Ritu Kumar's show at KFW2. These fashion divas have, in their own way, breathed new life into Indian textile traditions by the magic touch of the wonder word, designer. Within days of the fashionista at ITC Sonar, Khadi and Village Industries Commission brought ramp stars and artisans together at Milon Mela to popularize handloom-based textiles. Long before that, all tradition-inspired apparel creators of Kolkata had put their best foot forward. Consequence? A noted industrialist's Puja gift to Tollywood's Who's Who is fashioned by these ladies. After all, the feast of colours and unstitched yarns that have outlived centuries are still to die for. Sialkuchi muga was going extinct when Sampa's boutique put the lustre back in insipid' Assam silk. Today, her vibrant saris, mekhlas, kurtas and gowns are things to feast your eyes on. And the exquisite dhol-beli or lokka payra? They bring to the discerning traditionalist jewellery that's a feat to own even in Guwahati. No easy task, this. Despite its long life and golden sheen, muga had to be given the protection granted to Geographical Indicators. And then, Sampa must frequent old families, museums and archives to retrieve ancient designs, sit with weavers and guide their palettes to rework lost beauties. Fashion should not be fantasy but based on tradition, she believes. "Ironically, these time-consuming art cannot be mass produced. Perforce they are exclusive." At Artisana, it was tough to take the eyes off Phulia taant! In the days of yore, Phulia came nowhere in the hierarchy that accorded pride of place to Dhakai Jamdani, Baluchari, Tangail and Santipuri: Dhanekhali trailed after them, Phulia wasn't around. After Partition, the Santipuri weavers were rehabilitated in the little hamlet of Bengal and today Phulia is giving textile capitals like Gadwal, Kalakshetra and Sambalpur a run for their money. "Their enterprise was remarkable," says Ruby Pal Chaudhuri of Crafts Council. They're using a range of technology, from Bhagalpuri twill to khes type of finish, creating double layers and grafting sequins, to give the six-yard wonder a sexy appeal that's drawing the younger generation. "Youngsters are returning to sari for its own sake, for they're realising it isn't just a dress, it's a culture," she adds. Not for nothing is Shamlu Dudeja dubbed a "kantha revivalist". She redesigned the stitches associated with old sarees and harnessed chiffons and silks besides her imagination and hundreds of needy hands to craft dresses, scarves, handbags, bedspreads and wall hangings that now have buyers in France, Italy, Sydney and Silicon Valley. With the arrival of Sravasti, poetry became fashionable in more ways than one. "Inspired by Jibanananda Das's Banalata Sen, Sravasti expressed my desire to weave poetry into everyday life," explains Keya Chaitali Dasgupta. Sarees, kurtas, Tees, for children, men and women she turns them into canvas to showcase everything from Tagore's doodles to Sukumar Ray's limericks. Warli painting, Madhubani motifs, Bankura horses, tie-n-dye, appliqu? all is grist for her creative mill. This "Padda Poshaker Pashra" found takers in UK and USA, but was lapped up more readily by those who don't know Subhash Mukherjee from Saratchandra: copycats are flooding Gariahat and Shyambazar. In a country where "copyright" mostly means right to copy, these women must contend with those who buy from Burrabazar and sell from butiks' without any creative intervention. "The role of the designer is extremely important," says Ritu Kumar. "For, unlike couture' in the West, fashion' and tradition' are interlinked in India." The line between art and craft have always been thin here, "but the catalyst fashion designer has to make it right for the age and carry on customizing", the fashion diva explains. Take note. For, no one will want craft if it stands still like uniform.