Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:46:57 GMT | By Nivedita/IANS

Designer Shah teams with 250 weavers to revive handlooms

At a time when traditional handlooms are fading into oblivion due to growing popularity of embroidered saris in fabrics like georgette and chiffon, designer Gaurang Shah joined forces with 250 weavers to revive the craft, especially khadi. He says it's been a "challenge" in the modern world.

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Designer Gaurang Shah.

Gaurang Shah is set to showcase an Indian collection at Berlin this year and hopes to charm the international fashion world with the traditional weave.

"Way back in 2001 when weaver communities were mired in debt traps and hunger deaths because of fading demand of handloom textiles and increased popularity of chiffons and georgettes, I took up the challenge of reviving the traditional handlooms and bringing them back in vogue. It took years to regain the popularity for the handlooms," Shah told IANS.

"I personally love khadi. I saw its interest was almost fading, so I wanted to preserve it for the future because it is one of the essence of true India. I took up the challenge and put all my resources and energy to revive this art of making khadi saris hand-woven finely," he added.

Khadi, a fabric popularised by Mahatma Gandhi during India's independence movement, is considered restrictive in terms of its coarse texture, minimalistic designs and basic colours.

But Shah has transformed the total outlook.

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