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Revisiting textile traditions

The myriad cultures of India came alive at this show

PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

OF APPLES AND SNOW Recreating J and K.

A coy Maharashtrian bride decked up in a vibrant choli and matching chunky jewellery welcomes you with the traditional cuisine of the region. Move around and the Andhra bride explains the rich tradition of her State.

The display of traditional costumes of India put up by students of costume designing and fashion of Sri Krishna College of Arts and Science was not just about learning different draping styles and the weaves.

It also gave an insight into the art and culture of these regions.

As S. Kaushik, a second year student puts it: "Information like annual rainfall, wildlife, food habits and business added value to our project. The rich-poor divide in the state has also been reflected in our costumes."

Men in a silk dhoti and silk shirt symbolised the rich while the poor were dressed in khadi. Mirror work, kondampalli toys, silver jewellery and spicy cuisine represented Andhra. "We learnt that the traditional Andhra saree measures more than 8 ft and the men, predominantly farmers, are always dressed in cotton dhotis," adds K. Priyadarshini. Think the Coorgi style of draping sarees, silk dhotis, angavasthra and panchagajam and Mysore and Binny silks and you are in Karnataka.

Blending cultures

When girls from Kerala represent Gujarat, what you get is a blend of cultures. Dressed in traditional kasavu sarees, they spoke about ghagra cholis and pyjamas.

"We have captured the essence of Rajasthani culture through elaborate mirror work," adds Deepa Jayshankar. Next was the turn of girls from Tamil Nadu to present a slice of Kerala — pookalam, sadya, kasavu saree and ayurveda completed the picture.

Girls wore Kancheepuram silk sarees (draped in both folk and regular styles) and the traditional half-saree and men silk shirts — this was Tamil Nadu.

It was woollens all the way for the team representing Himachal Pradesh. With snow-clad mountains as backdrop, frozen apple trees and snowfall, students brought alive the majestic Jammu and Kashmir. To display traditional costumes, the boys wore sherwanis with elaborate embroidery and the girls chose vibrant pyjama-style outfits in silk and teamed it up with chunky silver jewellery. "People in J & K use a lot of dry fruits in their cooking, and so, we have included fruit buns and non-vegetarian items to represent the cuisine," explains Renesh Parveen, doing her second year in fashion.

For Sushma M.V. and her team, it was the cultural and ethnic diversity of West Bengal that caught their attention.

Bengal cotton sarees, aesthetic jute products, leather bags, sarees with kantha work,woodcarvings, hand embroidery and Kaali faces ... all found a place here. As Sushma walks around, you hear a mild tinkling — created by a bunch of keys tied to her pallu. "This and the saree draping style are unique to West Bengal. Bengali women also prefer wearing jewellery that hugs their neck," she says.

From Uttar Pradesh came cholis, sequins, zardosi and chikan work. The traditional vankis of Rajasthan got a contemporary twist and were replicated using rubber wires.

Students Sneha Ramaswamy, S. Saranya and team recreated the magic of Punjab. The vibrant bhangra costume was proof of this. "The knowledge we have gained about different traditions will come in handy when we turn designers," they add.

U. Rathna, the department head, says the exercise was meant to help students delve deep into Indian culture.

"In the process, they get to learn about different types of fabric, draping styles and accessories. Then, they can blend Indian and Western styles while retaining ethnic flavour," she adds.

K. JESHI

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