5 days ago
The second edition of Weave the Future puts native cotton in the spotlight
At the Crafts Museum in New Delhi, three long island tables come into view. They feature an assortment of natural dyes, snatches of fabric and samples of indigenous cotton varieties. On one of the tables, there's an assortment of tools. Usually popular imagination does not go beyond the charkha or the loom in this context. However, there is a wide variety of equipment which has been used for centuries in the processing and weaving of indigenous cotton.
Some of these such as manual ginning tools, sizing brushes and hand winders can be seen in the three-table installation Cotton 0.0. The three-table installation is based on grassroot insights by the likes of Kora Design Collaborative, a design and research practice headquartered in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, which works in the textile and craft installation is uniquely titled Cotton 0.0 as it is all about going back to the roots and a natural way of showcases the journey of 12 native varieties of cotton seeds from harvesting to processing and finally weaving. Underlying these exhibits is a story of intangible heritage, inherited knowledge, and can see the mapping of stakeholders and also experience the palette of dyes used in the process.
Cotton 0.0 is part of the second edition of Weave the Future, being organised by the Development Commissioner for Handlooms (DCHL), the Union ministry of textiles, to commemorate National Handloom Day (7 August). It spotlights regenerative textile practices and the future of indigenous cotton in the context of pressing concerns such as climate change and overconsumption. Panel discussions outline possible ways forward of creating sustainable and viable economic models for farmers and weavers through dialogues with grassroot implementers like Kora and Khamir—a platform for the craft, heritage and cultural ecology in Kutch, which launched the Kala cotton initiative in 2010. The journey from the farms and the weaving clusters to the design board and finally the market can be seen through showcases by brands like Dhi Earth, Lafaani and Indigene.
The event's focus on native cotton is part of the overall resurgence in various varieties across India. The usage of Kala, Punasa, Konda Patti and Gavran Kapus cotton is seeping into the design language at major fashion labels such as Anavila and Anita Dongre as well. Being pest-resilient, rain-fed and sturdy, indigenous cotton offers a way forward in the face of water scarcity and climatic vagaries.
Indeed, today, several pockets of India are seeing persistent droughts and water scarcity. It is in such areas that grassroot organisations such as Khamir are attempting to revive 'old world cotton". They are doing this by getting certifications for the cotton and supporting weaver-ginners-spinners clusters while also maintaining ecological balance in the region. Through the Kala Cotton Initiative, Khamir has also tried to create awareness with design labels, especially those working with denim, about the strength and flexibility of the fibre.
For Satish Poludar, founder, Kora Design Collaborative, it is also important for people to understand the diversity that desi cotton offers in terms of its texture, fibre length and strength. It is a thought echoed by Shubhi Sachan, founder Material Library of India for DC Handloom, ministry of textiles. 'Today, we are aware that saffron from Kashmir would have a different quality from saffron produced elsewhere in the country. Then why do we expect cotton to have a homogenous quality?" she asks. 'If the soil is right, the seed will flourish, producing a fibre length, which is best suited for the region. Not every region requires the same kind of length."
If the installation helmed by Kora Design Collective jolts you out of a stupor, the one by Lafaani, an artisanal circular clothing brand, is meditative. It shows how inherited craft skills can be merged with modern sensibilities. True to the theme of the event, the work, What if Every Thread Remembered, makes indigenous cotton both its subject and material. A light cotton panel, woven by an artisan cluster in Bengal, has been embellished with floral dyes using a drip-dry technique. These hues coalesce to form abstract landscapes to give a sense of the expanse of artistry and craft in the country. The eco-printed panel with hand-appliqued dried flowers—sourced from an organisation in Mumbai that upcycles discarded blooms—also alludes to the cultural memory that comes with the handmade. 'All of the patches in the panel are joined together with Kantha stitches—a technique which was born out of resourcefulness. It stands as a symbol for the strength of craft in the country," says Rashmick Bose, co-founder, Lafaani.
The brand was founded in early 2022 by Bose and Drishti Modi, who met while pursuing environmental science at the TERI School of Advanced Studies in New Delhi. Modi picked up on the complexities of regenerative cotton farming while working on a project for the United Nations in Andhra Pradesh in 2018. When they founded Lafaani, they were clear that collaboration with grassroot initiatives reviving these practices would be at the core of their design label.
Currently, they work regularly with eight artisan clusters on innovation and experimentation. 'We are also engaging with an additional five clusters and grassroot organisations that are reviving the Akola 7 cotton variety in Maharashtra," says acknowledges that it might be tough for growers of prevalent hybrid varieties to make the transition to certain desi cotton types like brown cotton. However, if a palpable shift has been made in parts of Kutch and Andhra Pradesh, the models can be replicated for different varieties elsewhere as well, while keeping the regional complexities in mind. 'We are collaborating with Kandu, which works at the grassroot level with growers of organic brown cotton in Karnataka. We are doing our bit on the design front. Slowly, market acceptance will come about. Our role is to create products around indigenous cotton that are aesthetically pleasing and desirable so that people make that initial shift and then look deeper into stories of sustainability," she adds.
Weave the Future 2.0 is at the Crafts Museum, New Delhi, till 17 August.
