Tales from Weavers are narrated by million #Threads of #Banaras showcasing #Designs of #Traditions. A palette of #silken #garbs cast a spell with a warm glow of elegant color combination and graceful designs in the form of #sarees, #suits, #dupattas and #lehengas. Currently, there are following four basic varieties of Banarasi silk:
- Pure Silk (Katan)
- Organza (Kora), with Zari And Silk
- Georgette
- Shattir
There is hardly any woman in India whose wardrobe does not include Banarsi stuff be it a #saree, #dupatta or #lehenga. Even the trousseau of a bride is incomplete without this much-coveted possession. #Benarasi outfits offers such grace to a #woman that can hardly be matched by any other dress. However, behind all this grace is a weaver, whose skill and genius goes into the making of such a splendid outfit.
#Varanasi/ #Benaras, the ancient holy city situated on the banks of the River Ganges today is home to more than 100,000 handloom weavers, while the region, which includes the small towns of Bijnor, Barabanki, Mubarakpur, Ramnagar, Lohta and Kotwa, has 45,000 active looms. Though they mainly spin rich Banarasi saris, there have been some efforts to expand the product base to dresses, furnishings and fashion accessories as well. The annual turnover of this home-based industry is Rs. 400 crores.
The Mughal era was the time when the fame and recognition of #Banarsee silk dresses of India reached its pinnacle. Unfortunately, over the last few decades, the hardships faced by the talented Banarasi weavers, not unlike their counterparts elsewhere, have been mounting steadily, something that is clearly reflective in their fast dwindling numbers. Till as late as 2009 there were nearly 300,000 weavers though there are now less than half that number. The #Indian #fashion #industry once again joins hands with #grassroots weavers to spin couture magic and revive #dying #textiles.
There are several factors for the decline Banarasee weaving and weaver which, incidentally, started way back with the rise of the #British #Empire. As the elaborate textile tradition lost its royal patronage and everything indigenous became old-fashioned there was a conscious shift towards adopting designs imported from England and France to stay relevant and find buyers.
Apart from that, the raw material and technique, too, underwent a decided transformation. Indian silk gave way to gleaming reams from #China, instead of #pure #gold and #silver "#zari" its plastic counterpart became the thread of choice and later even the weaving technique was altered. This caused the hugely insecure weavers to create hybrid designs that had none of the subtlety and conviction of the earlier repertoire.
Consequently, the Banarasi fabrics, once known for being #soft and #luxurious, became stiff, rough and remarkably plain. Eventually, #connoisseurs started looking elsewhere and began opting for highly embellished saris with detailed work on fabric such as #chiffons, #georgettes, #nets and #silks for special occasions like #weddings or #festivals such as #eid, #diwali, #teej, #rakshabandhan #dauj and even #babyshowers.
For all our latest collection please visit: Féminité
For selected collections visit: Chikan collection, Kantha collection, Punjabi/Phulkari collection, Banarasi collection
