This National Handloom Day – August 7, 2018, The Department of Handlooms and Textiles, Government of Telangana would present a unique fashion showcase of traditional and contemporary garments by Designer Rina Singh, 7 emerging Designers of Telangana and the in-house collection by TSCO and Golkonda Handicrafts.
The main focus this year would be the Revival of the Telia Rumal Ikat and the Creation of Mahadevpur Tussar Silk Saris in Natural Dyes.
About Handlooms & Textile Department
The Department of Handlooms and Textiles, under Mr. Jayesh Ranjan IAS, Principal Secretary – Industries & Commerce and Information Technology and Ms. Shailaja Ramaiyer IAS, Director of Handlooms & Textiles and Apparel Export Parks (FAC) would host the event, at the State Gallery of Art, Kavuri Hills, with the opening being done by Sri Mahmood Ali – Hon’ble Minister Home, Prisons and Fire with the Guest of Honour being Ms. Saina Nehwal – Indian Badminton Player and Olympic Medallist.
Designer Rina Singh was brought on board by the Department of Handlooms and Textiles (DHT) to recreate the Telia Rumals with Masterweaver Guda Srinu from Puttapaka, one of the fewest weavers in the State who is still an expert in working in Telia Rumals. New designs and colours have been created and will be worked on going forward. The DHT is also looking at having training programs where weavers would be taught on making Telia Rumals going forward.
How Handlooms’ Products Made
The Telia rumal is a very intricate and laborious double ikat weave. As the name suggests the yarn is treated with oil. The products used for the treatment of the yarn are: sheep dung, castor pod ashes and oil. The treated yarn which is used for the warp and weft is tied and dyed in accordance with a predetermined geometrical design. Each of the warp and weft threads are individually positioned on the loom prior to weaving hence it’s crucial for the weaver to ensure perfection. Only 3 colors are traditionally used – red, black and white in geometrical designs.
Weaving a telia rumal needs a great amount of practice and perfection for the warp and weft to be meticulously converted to an artistic design. The number of motifs makes it more complex and difficult to weave. This year we have tried a new variation in indigo and black apart from the conventional red and black. Rina’s collection will focus on using Telia Rumals as accessories for men and women, apart from the rest of the collection focussing on the Mahadevpur Tussar Silk Saris in Natural Dyes and the Cotton and Silk Ikats for Pochampally and Puttapaka.
The Mahadevpur Tussar silk saris in natural dyes were recreated after a long time, with intervention by Designer Rina Singh in the design element and expert dyer Duddyala Shankar from Koyalgudam. Together, alongwith the Masterweavers of Mahadevpur – Gorrebapu and Shankaraiah, they have created a line of Saris in natural dyes. The exquisite feature of absorption of colour by this thigh-spun yarn, spun only by the women in that region, allows the tussars to look earthy and subtle, hence targeting the new markets online and offline going forward.
Design & Texture
The skilled in-house design team at TSCO, will be showcasing their Modern Casuals Men’s Collection of Shirts, Kurtas and Blazers styled to perfection. The Saris of Narayanpet, Siddipet and Gadwal are the best sellers and a special collection has been created for this special day. Saris made from Ahimsa Silk by Kusuma Rajaiah and the Denim Ikats by Gajam Shravan would be of high value-add at this show.
The accessories for the shows are being made by Golkonda – the Handicraft Department, who will be showcasing their spectacular hand painted belts by Nirmal Industries, hand painted shoes and bags. They would also be showcasing a small range of womenswear with Bobbin Laces from Ghanpur being the highlight of these dresses.
A unique addition this year is the addition of the Gen-Next Designer Section, with the objective to promote upcoming designers to use the handlooms of the state and work with weavers in clusters across. 7 chosen designers would be showcasing 3 garments each made of the Handlooms of the State. The designers/brands are: Studio Bustle, Hi-Low, Ishita Singh, Aruna Goud, Udaysurya, Joita Sekhar and Priyanka Jain.
A grand showcase of Handloom weavers’ stalls from across the State of Telangana and a few other States will also be at display and sale, for the general public from August 7 to August 12, 2019 at the People’s Plaza arena on Necklace Road. Fashion shows every evening, food stalls and a Weaving Experience zone would be the unique highlights under the entertainment section.
Design colleges from across the State would also be participating in the stalls and an inter-collegiate design competition in handloom fabrics will be held as well.
Khalid M Raza
