The craft and the professional DOWNLOAD PDF

There are many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) helping artisans make a living, but there are only a few who have considered the idea of tying up with high-fashion designers to bring the message of crafts and fashion into the limelight. Many designers get their collections embellished and embroidered by artisans in India, but very few give credit to the crafts in their shows. But that’s changing, and artisans are very much in the limelight, Meher Castelino reports.

With the Sustainable Fashion Day that was established at the Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) a few years ago, the collaboration between artisans and designers has taken an interesting path wherein the former are given due credit for their craft and the latter are able to present an innovative and fresh approach to the collections, thereby creating a win-win situation on all fronts, and helping the crafts get the attention that they richly deserve on the national and international fashion scene.

Kicking off the day

Day Two at LFW Winter/Festive 2017 was reserved for sustainable fashion, and this time five master craftsmen of Paramparik Karigar were paired with five talented young designers for the opening show, ‘Craft Is Cool’. The result was a great fusion of heritage crafts presented in a stylish contemporary mode.

The two-decade-old journey of Paramparik Karigar spans the expanse of the country discovering talented craftsmen, who have quietly nurtured the heritage crafts of our land. The Paramparik Karigar initiative was undertaken to provide sustained livelihoods to the craftsmen, and ensure the participation of their next generation in the continuation of the heritage.

Ratna Krishna Kumar, management committee member, said, “Paramparik Karigar is proud to be associated with LFW Winter/Festive 2017 and would like to applaud its endeavour in promoting our craftsmen and presenting handloom textiles/crafts in an innovative and contemporary form.”

Jaspreet Chandok, vice-president and head of fashion at IMG Reliance, remarked, “We are delighted to have Paramparik Karigar on board for this growth and empowerment initiative which brings next generation artisans aligned with emerging new market trends, so that they can sustain themselves in a rapidly changing and evolving retail scenario.”

The five pairs created a stylish mélange of crafts, weaves and contemporary fashion. Inspired by peace and harmony the artisans and designers not only highlighted the crafts, but also their creative sensibilities that revealed a graceful hint of Japanese and oriental nuances to match the requirements of the season. The variety of styles, were accessorised with beautiful vegan shoes designed from the fabrics of the show by Kurio.