The fashion industry is becoming more sustainable, or at least it’s trying to. It’s a hot topic. There are several fashion designers who have made it their design philosophy and incorporate sustainable practices into modern clothing. Indian fashion events like Lakmé Fashion Week and Amazon India Fashion Week are paying more attention to this ‘trend’. It is not just about the use of eco-friendly materials; organic cotton, natural dyes etc. but also about the revival of age-old crafts. Fast fashion ignores the environment and the people behind the product. The rise of slow fashion = to preserve jobs and promote craftsmanship threatened by low cost options.
Gaurang – The Master of Weaves
Indian fashion designer Gaurang, known as the master of weaves, stepped into the fashion scene in 2012 with one challenge; reviving the traditional handlooms and bringing them back in Vogue. Today he has more than 700 weavers from all over India working alongside him. He revives textile arts like kanjeevaram, khadi, uppada, paithani, patan patola, benarasi, kota, maheshwari, Bengal weaves and translates them into niche sarees and outfits. His designs are woven in the jamdani weaving technique which can take up to 2 years to weave (depending on the design), making his products heirloom pieces. His saree designs are true textile art; traditional Indian motifs go hand in hand with contemporary textures.
Summer/Resort 2017 collection ‘Muslin’
(Muslin is a cotton fabric of plain weave. In history, muslin has often been called ‘woven air’)
Gaurang unveiled his latest collection ‘Muslin’ during Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2017 last month:
”The collection finds inspiration from the most intrinsic love stories around us; the desire of the moonlight and the clouds, the tempestuous love of thunder and lightning, the dance of the sunflower and honey bee, and the passionate awakening of the rainbow after the rain….MUSLIN is a translation of these beautiful stories from nature into hand-woven artisan textiles, bound together in white – the colour of pure love”
The collection consists of traditional Indian silhouettes (sarees, lehengas, anarkalis) in shades of white with gold details. The sheer and flowy fabrics perfectly suit the summer theme. With this collection Gaurang introduced a new dimension to his signature Jamdani weaves. The weaves are brought to life with stunning Parsi Gara style and Chikankari embroidery. Block prints in shades of white are used to accentuate the lines and silhouettes of the collection.
Gaurang feels hand-woven Indian textiles embrace class, comfort and style. A summer trend! The collection also includes a dash of vibrant summer colours.
Actress Tabu walked the Lakmé Fashion Week ramp for Gaurang wearing a stunning white gown with gold details. Check out the gallery for more from this beautiful collection!
