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projectRen issance

To celebrate our fifth anniversary, Vogue India orchestrated an inspiring collaboration between two opposing

sartorial worlds. We visited artisans across the country to collect exquisite handwoven

and hand-embroidered fabrics, gifted them to some of the biggest international

labels, and invited them to design a unique creation. What you see in the following

pages is a sublime tribute to the historical, social and mythical magic of the Indian

warp and weft. BANDANA TEWARI takes you on an unforgettable adventure

Photographed by Matthew Shave Styled by Lorna McGee and Fabio iMMeDiato

BURBERRY for

Maheshwari silk

“I wanted to take our iconic trench coat and play with

its unique identity. Like the trench, the Maheshwari

fabric has an incredibly rich history and heritage, which

I find truly inspiring” —Christopher Bailey, chief creative officer

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iving in this country, it is not difficult to be reminded every day of the magic in the crafts and textiles of India. We see the variety wherever we go, from the foothills of the Himalayas to the tip of Kanya-kumari. We wear them with ease in a mix of drapes and sil-houettes. And we wear them everywhere, to sweet family get-togethers and grand sit-down dinners alike. At Vogue, we have always adored this embrace of our textile traditions; but we have also always encouraged a shift in the way we perceive them, towards living, breathing fabrics and embel-lishments that should be enjoyed with modern nuances and cutting-edge construction.

The Indian thread is something of an arterial lifeline that connects the spirit of this vast nation. We know this because we’ve had a small peek into its large universe of aesthetic brilliance. In the deepest alcoves of rural India, we learnt about the most sophisticated weaving techniques (the patola saris of Patan are as much a product of scien-tific ingenuity as indigenous dexterity); about the social structures embedded in the weaving patterns of, say, the tribes of Nagaland; about the excruciating, loving labour of millions of miniscule mustard seeds tied in silk to create breathtaking bandhini and tie-dye fabrics in Gujarat and Rajasthan; about gold brocades from Benaras, temple- bordered Kanchipuram silks from Tamil Nadu, fragile jamavars from Kashmir, and so much more that we were left in awe and wonder at this forest of exquisite threads. With every region of India we travelled to, more layers of local crafts emerged. And we are aware of a cruel truth—we have merely skimmed the surface.

My journey into the world of Indian handicrafts started with the help of the experts. Textile aficionado Sally Holkar introduced me to the weaving traditions of Maheshwar in the interiors of Madhya Pradesh, where weavers, some as young as 16, operate mammoth handlooms in tiny homes. Rajeev Sethi, an unparalleled icon in this field, welcomed me into his labyrinthine multi-storey Delhi studio, a veritable treasure trove of the most spectacular arts and crafts from every corner of India. These are just some of the visionaries who inspired Vogue to take our project forward, full throttle. I visited The Ants in Bangalore, a dedicated NGO run by husband and wife Pradeep Krishnappa and Smita Murthy, whose unflagging support of the weaves and crafts of North-east India left me inspired. There was Rakesh Thakore in

Delhi, one half of the beloved design duo Abraham & Tha-kore, who argued passionately about a multifarious country that isn’t held together by the English language and crick-et, as we are wont to believe, but by the sacred traditions of the thread, part of our collective religion (as janoi) and our personal relationships (as rakhi). SN Damodaren, vice-president of Nalli and a fount of knowledge, directed me—over generous tumblers of piping-hot South Indian coffee—to the most enthralling South Indian silks in Kanchipuram and gilded brocades in Benaras. In Ahmedabad, I was wel-comed into the Hutheesing haveli (frequented by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru in the old days) by its owner Umang Hutheesing, who laid out mouth-watering Gujarati feasts as he shared tales about his private collection of anti-quated fabrics and his devotion to the endangered queen of all weaves, the patola. In a secluded street of the same bus-tling city, I met the enigmatic Anuradha Vakil, a textile devotee, who draped cold marble floors with the most intri-cate Tree of Life kalamkari saris in warm colours (as splen-did peacocks and comic squirrels peered through her sunny studio windows). And of course, there was the dynamic, no-nonsense Ritu Kumar, who at first sized me up as a dubious champion of the crafts, but eventually opened her heart and bequeathed to me, a wide-eyed textile enthusiast, generous helpings of expertise.

And so, with their blessings, I set off to some far-flung regions of India to hunt and gather stories and fabrics that Vogue eventually gifted to high-fashion international labels, from Burberry to Gucci, Christian Louboutin to Salvatore Ferragamo. Each of these artists dove into the soul of the project and emerged with exquisite designs. You will see in the pages that unfold how inspiring these creations are, and how forthright and free the spirit of creativity is; and most of all, how the designs are a power-ful testimony to the advantage of marrying heritage with modernity. If you ask me to put the overall message in a simple one-liner, all I would say is this: making tradition contemporary is, well, very cool.

My story had a humble, pure beginning, in the weaving community that lives on the fringes of the great Yamuna river in Maheshwar. There I made a dangerously amateur PDF of my visual journey—simple pictures and silly notes to myself of my little adventure. And a week later, in the daz-zling, high-tech city of Taipei, I showed it to Christopher Bailey, chief creative officer of Burberry. I was nervous as I made him scroll through images of the distant villages and alien traditions of India, desperate for him to agree to par-ticipate in this project. He was mesmerised. And we at Vogue were elated to be able to propel the story forward.

The designs you see, from the international designers, are not only modern avatars of India but also an acknowl-edgement of the universal celebration of beautiful ideas; it is a validation of the ease with which international designers are able to seamlessly inject their own design DNA into India’s timeless fabrics. It is as if Made in India, Made by India, Made for India are all the same thing. And it is a sweet reminder that no matter where they come from, the strings that tug at our hearts are the very ones woven for our bodies.

PETER PILOTTO for

Orissa ikat

“We enjoyed the contrast [in using]

something that was made through

classical methods and constructing it with modern techniques

to give a cutting-edge silhouette true to

Peter Pilotto” —Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos

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ALBERTA FERRETTI

for Kanchipuram silk

TOD’S for

Kanchipuram silk

“I re-interpreted this beautiful fabric to realise something different from the traditional sari— I wanted to show [its] versatility,

richness and allure” —Alberta Ferretti

“We chose the Tod’s D Bag as the best way to valorise the silk. We combined

[it with] special leather and laser ‘embroideries’ to make it unique”

—Tod’s

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t the start of Vogue’s Project Renaissance, as we be-gan to get an inkling of the staggering treasure of weaves to explore, it would have been easy to feel overwhelmed. Luckily, help was only a phone

call, email or text message away. The experts—people who have dedicated years to study-

ing, reviving and collecting the handicrafts of India—were more than eager to listen patiently and offer much-needed guidance. Here are the ones whose support we could not have triumphed without, as they share their all-consuming passion with Vogue.

Sally Hol-kar, founder and director, WomenWeaves On empowering women weavers

In 1978, when Sally Holkar and ex-husband Richard Holkar (of the royal family of Indore) first imagined their not-for-profit foundation, the Rehwa society, it was simply as an impetus for the handloom weavers of Ma-heshwar. But the princely sum of 80,000 from the Central So-cial Welfare Board changed their plans. “The grant was a fortuitous mistake—it was in-tended specifically to train women,” Holkar says. “In spite of all the reservations of the men of Maheshwar, we found 12 women to train.” This “mis-take” put into motion a wave that has, over 30 years, trained hundreds of women in the fine art of the Maheshwari sari, and the empowerment has had pos-itive ripple effects.

“Unfortunately women still have to hand over most of their earnings to their husbands and sons—but they have learnt to keep a bit for themselves,” she observes. They spend this on health, hygiene and education—which in turn leads to an improved environment. “Only women could have brought about this change,” says Holkar, who in 2002, began WomenWeaves, an organisation committed to im-proving the lives of women workers in rural India.

He firmly believes that there is a huge potential to take Northeastern textiles to a larger, more cosmopolitan mar-ket. “It needs the right marketing. Large retailers need to invest in these textiles.” For several years, Krishnappa has been working with NGOs in the Northeast to add a contemporary spin to the arts and crafts (including tex-tiles) to suit urban markets. “The Northeast is very good at preserving their crafts, weaves and stories,” he says. “It’s time for the rest of the country to hear and see these stories, too.”

rakeSH THakore, designer On the national thread It was as a young student at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad that de-signer Rakesh Thakore first began his ro-mance with textiles. Since then, he has

travelled around the country to learn about different weaving techniques. “Every part of India has its own weave. If you try to move it, it loses its identity and puri-ty, and weakens. We need to protect it,” he says, adding that although Indians are so different, we are united by thread.

“The thread is sacred. It is the thread ceremony, the janoi, that marks a boy’s transition into student life, and it is the thread that a sister ties on her brother’s wrist,” reminds Thakore. “Then there’s khadi, which is so much more than just cloth—it’s a movement that epitomised a country’s fire for freedom, and Gandhi spinning his loom became an eter-nal portrait of our independence. Handloom is our tradi-tion—we must honour the purity of what it represents.”

anuradHa Vakil, designer On giving back to the weavers“I’m a textile designer first, and a fashion designer next,” says Anuradha Vakil. “I have been fortunate enough to have worked with so many amazing weavers

through my career. They have given me so much—it’s time to give back.”

Vakil believes it’s up to designers to support the weav-ers. “We need to help our weaving communities; not just through monetary compensation but in finding artistic satisfaction. They need to be made part of the creative process.” She offers an example: “Years ago, I worked with a weaver who had seven sons, but none wanted to carry on his legacy; I convinced one by getting him inter-ested in what we were doing. Today, he has taken his fa-ther’s work forward, and found prosperity. His children have seen that the work is rewarding and are now keen to work with him.”

rajeeV SeTHi, scenographer and founder of asian Heritage Foundation On embracing changeIn 2007, Rajeev Sethi set up Jiyo!, a design-led initiative of the Asian Heritage Founda-tion aimed at creating livelihoods in cultural

industries. “We have so much original content in India, from traditional handlooms to more modern industries like anima-tion. We must nurture our past and let it inform our future. Change is de rigueur, and to not change is rigor mortis.”

The challenge, Sethi explains, is the process of transfor-mation. “It cannot be change of the few, for the few. It has to be a joint effort between the government, private sector and NGOs, which must consult the weavers whose lives this directly impacts.”

umang HuTHeeSing, creative consultant and philanthropist On keeping grandeur aliveFor over 700 years, the Hutheesing family has been the self-appointed custodian of the weaves in Gujarat. “In our weaving commu-

nities, every child is the custodian of the craft in his family,” Hutheesing relates. “They grow up around it.” He is partic-ularly passionate about the patola—a double ikat woven only by two families of Salvis in the town of Patan. “These award-winning skills have been in the families for genera-tions. Each patola sari takes 10 months to weave,” he ex-plains.

But the patola is more than just pretty fabric. “There is a beauty in the classics, and we need to educate modern soci-ety to keep this knowledge. The media play a huge part in this—they need to communicate the importance of what we’re holding on to.”

riTu kumar, designer On preserving techniquesRitu Kumar has been in the business for over 40 years, and she’s still fascinated by the textiles she deals with daily. “After I worked on handblock prints and embroider-

ies, I got interested in the use of pure cotton thread when I began a project called Kapaas. It’s a miracle that in such an industrialised world, we’re still able to produce beautiful hand-spun cloth. It’s truly a treasure that only India has. The challenge is to keep these techniques alive by using them in a contemporary manner.”

Kumar believes that every Indian needs to be committed to safeguarding this national treasure. “We are the inheri-tors of the world’s richest textile crafts—we need to be sensi-tive towards it and patronise it.”

Meet the inspiring men and women who have dedicated their lives to the fabric of India. By RENUKA JOSHI MODIthe ties that bind

Sn damodaren, vice-president, nalli On net-savvy weaversWedding season is upon us, and chances are that at any given ceremony, the best Kanchipuram silk saris are from Nalli, the iconic 80-year-old South Indian sari retailer. SN Damodaren, from the weaving Padmashali commu-nity himself, says that there are concerns that the ancient craft involved in these saris is in danger of dying out, as

the children of weavers are choosing other career options.

Recently though, Damo-daren has noticed a happy change in South India. “Chil-dren went off to study, espe-cially in computers. Many realised that they wanted to come back to their family business—weaving—and they brought with them all the business acumen they had collected along the way.” So instructions are now commu-nicated over email and pay-ment is electronically trans-ferred. “Younger, educated weavers are also more open to suggestions,” Damodaren adds. “Education and aware-ness are key to the evolution of Indian handlooms.”

PradeeP kriSHnaPPa, social entrepreneurOn giving the Northeast an identity in Indian textilesWhen you think of Indian handlooms, the first thing that comes to mind is the in-tricate bandhini or the dense patola. You’re less likely to re-member dokhana, the tradi-tional dress of the Bodo tribe

of Assam, or kauna reed mats from Manipur. Social en-trepreneur Pradeep Krishnappa, who runs The Ants store in Bangalore, is trying to change that.

“The Northeast of India has for too long been associated with insurgency, but it also has a rich cultural heritage,” says Krishnappa. “There’s a strong tradition of handloom. Many tribes, including the Bodos and Khasis, still weave their own clothes. Each has its own distinct weave. Every home has a loom, and the women are excellent weavers.”

a

MAWI for

Benarasi brocade

bria

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bLaS

ko; v

ikra

nt

kuM

ar; a

DiL

haS

an“The neon tulle adds a

modern contrast. The jewelled embellishments give it the final Mawi

touch” —Mawi Keivom

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GUCCI for

Gujarati patola

FENDI for

Bengali jamdani“[It] felt like the perfect blend of two of the oldest

cultures—India and Rome. I was delighted

to see the [fabric’s] elegant simplicity, and thought it was just perfect for a

Baguette” —Silvia Venturini

Fendi, creative director of accessories

“The patola fabric is incredibly rich

and simple. It gives you the idea of

heritage, tradition, craftsmanship,

creativity, all themes that are very close to

me and to Gucci” —Frida Giannini,

creative director

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SALVATORE FERRAGAMO

for Benarasi brocade

DKNY for

Bishnupur Baluchari silk

“The shoe represents Ferragamo’s long-standing

commitment to craftsmanship [in its] pairing [of] the fabric

with the techniques of an Italian handmade shoe”

—James Ferragamo, director of women’s leather goods

“The graphic red is so

DKNY—vibrant, energised,

colourful. It’s exciting to take

something traditional and do something

completely unexpected

with it” —Donna Karan,

chief creative director

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MISSONI for

Lucknowi chikankari

ROGER VIVIER

for Assam silk

“Working with [the fabric] has been a pleasure. We [searched] our archives for the model that would best suit the peculiarity of the craft and

enhance its beauty”

—Margherita Missoni, brand

ambassador

“I was inspired by this fabric

and its intense colour. We

had to cut it; it was not an

easy decision to make, given the

beauty of the entire piece”

—Bruno Frisoni, creative director

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BLUMARINE for

Kashmiri embroidery

ROBERTO CAVALLI for

Rajasthani bandhini

“It was an exciting challenge to construct the design, to blend the Cavalli sensuality and style with the

elements of a traditional sari” —Roberto Cavalli

“I thought about a linear and clean shape,

very feminine and luxurious. I decided to let the fabric play

the starring role in the creation” —Anna Molinari,

creative director

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ETRO for

Kashmiri jamawar and Gujarati

bandhini

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN

for Kanchipuram

silk

“In a mixing of styles, I decided to blend [the

fabrics] to create a new layered ‘Etro India’

look, combining our common passion for

textiles, colours and little details”

—Veronica Etro, creative director of

womenswear

“I wanted to emphasise

the beautiful heritage of

the fabric by combining it

with the modern lines of the shoe

and adding spikes [that]

contrast” —Christian Louboutin

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BIBHU MOHAPATRA for

Bhuj mashru

HERMÈS for

Bengali kantha

“I was driven by the challenge of taking something so traditional, historic and beautiful to create something that is modern and ‘now’”

—Bibhu Mohapatra

“I left with the embroiders the iconic Brides de Gala scarf, and asked them to

replicate it in kantha work on raw silk. It was done free-hand, in their unique style”

—Bali Barret, deputy artistic director for Hermès’ women’s collections

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EMILIO PUCCI for

Lucknowi chikankari

NAEEM KHAN

for Kanchipuram

silk “[I chose to] create a modern, sexy and classic strapless gown

with no seams—it was mostly all tucked by hand. It signifies the

New India to me”

—Naeem Khan

“Working with embroideries is one of my

great pleasures. The fabric of the dress was

perfect and lent itself impeccably to the design I

imagined” —Peter Dundas, creative director

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PRABAL GURUNG

for Benarasi brocade

JIMMY CHOOfor

Benarasi brocade

“[We] added a sculpted 3D element to the design, creating a mule that is

quintessentially Jimmy Choo” —Sandra Choi, creative director

“The design and draping process was incredibly romantic and

poetic—it stirred up emotions and nostalgia of my

time spent [in India]”

—Prabal Gurung

Hair: ernesto Monteno-vo/My Management

Make-up: Florrie white/D+v Management

Manicure: Steph Mendiola/Caren Model: tali/next

Models

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