Raw silk, cotton, jute, Indias traditional fabrics are finding favour among top designers raring to break new ground in thehighly competitive Indian fashion market.


The tendency to ape Western cuts and style inrecent years has seen the country's own rich craftsmanship take a backseat.


But a reversal in the trend was evident at thisyear's Wills India Fashion Week, where classic couturier Tarun Tahiliani markedthe return to traditional craft with hand-made Indian fabrics and embroidery inhis signature draping style.


"I consciously used Indian fabric. I feelwe've been a little too Western," Tahiliani said after his show at theevent, one of the two most prestigious events on the Indian fashion calendar.Tahiliani's theme at the show was "Return to The Craft" highlightingqualities that he said had been lost in the "hyper-explosion of brands,stores, distribution and price wars". In keeping with his theme, thedesigner showcased gilets (sleeveless jackets) over tiny T-shirts, sarongs andhis trademark sari drapes held together by embroidered belts. Tahiliani, whoseprevious shows had a more international flavour, is not alone in his new-foundmission.


A host of upcoming and promising designers arelooking to affirm their cultural heritage and break free from the Western mouldto carve out "Indian" identities.


Samant Chauhan, from the impoverished easternstate of Bihar, is trying to revive the handloom industry by focusing on rawsilk and making it appealing to the global market.


Another example is designer Nitin Bal Chauhan,who gave up a scholarship offer to study fashion abroad and went back to hisvillage in northern Himachal Pradesh, where the skills of local craftsmen weredying.


"I have been promoting raw silk and usingit a lot in texturing, interlacing and knits to create layered outfits,"said Samant Chauhan. "The silk I use has been hand-woven and made from aneco-friendly process without the use of any dyes. "I have been working onraw silk ever since I was in college because I could see that the craftsmen, inspite of being so talented, were not getting their due. So I decided to dosomething about it through my work."


Samant Chauhan said designers need not lookwestwards for inspiration as India has a rich history of craftsmanship.


"Our designs are so intricate and rich thatinternational designers can never match us. We must take our traditionalcraftsmanship forward and present it in a way that it is liked in theinternational market," he said.


Tahiliani, whose elaborate golden bridal outfitfor Bollywood celebrity Shilpa Shetty was a hit among wealthy socialites, saidmost designers resisted working with handloom materials because they do not"construct too well." "It is beautiful to wear as a sari or as adupatta (stole), but if you want to make different clothes with it, you can't.You can't have perfect fits with handloom as it doesn't mould like the fabricsyou get abroad.


"In fact, our fabrics were never made fortailoring. And I like my clothes to be structured. For me structure and fit arevery important. So I have used quilting in my clothes this season.


"We need to reinvent Indian crafts andchurn it up for something new. A lot of Indian designers are now moving towardsusing Indian fabrics and designs with a western touch."



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Originallypublished in The Economic Times, dated 3 April 2010