30 April,2016 08:26 AM IST | | Dhara Vora
Adopt these traditional handwoven wonders suggested by Indian textile fashion designers to allow you to sail through May with style
Andhra Khadi is by far the most adaptable khadi I have used - it can be dyed, embroidered, printed or used for Bandhani. Then, there is the Kanchi Cotton from Tamil Nadu which is a jacquard weave made using dark colours. Benarasi Cotton is a luxurious technique similar to Jamdani (in pic) style of weaving from West Bengal and Bangladesh, which is one of the finest weaves techniques. Benarasi cotton is expensive and a sari can cost as much as Rs 80,000.
- Gaurang Shah
In India, we have nine months of summer, though May and June are the worst. The benefits of wearing a handwoven textile is that the natural fibre helps combat odour and since it is handmade, it makes it breathable. Hence, it works against sweat. Pure cotton khadi is the most easily accessible fabric, and with good thread counts that designers make today, it isn't coarse anymore. The cotton from Ichalkaranji is one of the best I have worked with, it looks luxurious. Chanderi from Maheshwar, with its sheer nature and bootis, is another fabric whose beauty lies in its simplicity. People think that it is stiff, but today, it is designed such that it has a great fall and is the perfect option for Western fabrics such as organza. The Nagpur checks from my home town is another great contemporary cotton pattern to try. West Bengal's Tangail cotton is the poor man's fabric compared to the Jamdani, and both are traditionally woven to combat the state's weather.
- Shruti Sancheti
Mulmul from West Bengal is one of the best fabrics for summer. It has a very fine thread count and is handwoven which makes it breathable. Malkha Cotton from Hyderabad is made from farm to the loom, the cotton is grown close to where it is woven. Kala Cotton of Gujarat is one of the only few cottons that is not genetically modified and is a pure, ancient weave. Also try blends such as cotton (in pic) with linen or cotton with silk. These are adaptable fabrics that can be used to create just about anything - a sari or something contemporary.
- Anavila Misra
Chanderi is one of the best lightweight fabrics that has been worn for centuries in India. Sooti Jamdani (in pic) from West Bengal is also my favourite, especially white-on-white. It is a geometric weave, very fine in nature and is perfect in weight.
- Sanjay Garg
