{"id":694,"date":"2019-12-07T03:38:17","date_gmt":"2019-12-07T03:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vserver3.auroville.com\/?p=694"},"modified":"2021-05-03T10:53:36","modified_gmt":"2021-05-03T06:23:36","slug":"work-in-auroville-prema-from-rangoli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventure.auroville.com\/index.php\/2019\/12\/07\/work-in-auroville-prema-from-rangoli\/","title":{"rendered":"Fashion to Preserve the Craft: Prema from Rangoli"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Destined for Fashion<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Prema Florence Isaac fell in love with fabric at a very young age. She designed her first dress already at the age of four! Playing with cloth and designing clothes her entire childhood, she was destined to go into the fashion design industry. \u201cIn 1999, with the encouragement of family, friends and well-wishers, I took the plunge, hired artisans, and started Rangoli. Over the years, we grew organically as our business increased.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Prema<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

One day, she was gifted two saris that would become the standard to which she compared all fabric. These were from the traditional Tangail and Jamdani weaving traditions. She transformed them into dance costumes which she used for her Odissi dance practice. \u201cClothing is like a second skin to me, so the design and fabrics are very important,\u201d she points out, and the pure artistry and craftsmanship that goes into making these exquisite weavings has led the Jamdani tradition, for example, to be added to the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helping to Preserve a Craft<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The weaving of Jamdani comes from Bengal. It is a handloom woven fabric made of cotton, which was historically referred to as muslin. It is one of the most time- and labour-intensive forms of handloom weaving with in-loom embroidery. During the Mughal period, the figured or flowered muslin came to be known as the Jamdani and was always considered the most expensive productions of the Dhaka looms. In the 19th Century, a gradual decline in the quality and production of this highly skilled craft made such fabrics harder to find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simultaneously, handloom cottage industries in the Tangail district of Bangladesh evolved at the end of nineteenth century. The weavers of this Tangail fabric are the successors of the famous Jamdani weavers. While weaving has become simpler after the implementation of the jacquard looms and technique introduced in the 1930\u2019s, it is still a very complex process. There is a secret craft, handed down from generation to generation which is not mentioned much, and that is the use of mantras as reference points during the weaving process. \u201cThe luxurious feel of the fabric, the sacred geometry in the patterns, the consciousness and love in the weaving, even the singing of mantras during the work \u2013 all of these result in a fabric that is beautiful at a spiritual level in addition to its wonderful physical attributes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith cheap imported fabrics taking over the market, the distribution channel was forced to compete by lowering the quality of the saris that they sourced. So, in 2005, I went to West Bengal villages to find these weavers. What brought me to tears was a framed picture of Mother and Sri Aurobindo along with the Auroville Charter displayed on the wall of one of the Cooperative Societies.\u201d The latter were created to help revive the Bengali traditions, search for the deeper meaning behind these and showcasing them to the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With only trained skilled weavers inheriting this tradition, Prema decided then that she would commit to help preserve the craft by only working with them as a source for her fabrics. She integrates the craft by designing her own fabric, in loom embroideries and jacquard borders, sometimes adding Japanese origami folds as well or reversing the fabric to create more texture. In 2019, Rangoli celebrated its 20th year Anniversary. Prema\u2019s vision is that this unique craft stays alive, \u201cThe work of designers like me needs to be successful for this ecosystem to survive and thrive\u201d she points out. There are enough weavers to sustain a growth in Tangail and Jamdani fabric production.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n