We are very excited to launch our SS’18 handloom collection, a range of wearable and versatile separates crafted in handspun and handwoven Indian textiles. Creating this collection has been especially rewarding as we had the opportunity to collaborate with our textile partners WomenWeave and weavers in Bihar and Jharkhand to develop our own textiles. An ode to the weavers, we created this collection to bring focus to the wearability and versatility of handloom textiles, interpreting them into softly tailored, modern silhouettes.

SAMPLING PROCESS

We travelled to Maheshwar to begin the textile development process. The inspiration being ‘stripes’ for spring-summer, we spent two days sampling with master weaver Prahladji at The Handloom School, experimenting with different yarns and weaving techniques to develop sampling swatches in various stripes. A sample loom was set up based on our design requirements and yarns dyed to match our colour references.

Our colour story being navy and red, we had to create a textile in the appropriate weight and yarn count for the silhouettes we wanted to design. From the sample swatches, the final stripe width and yarn count was finalised in 100% cotton as well as 50/50 cotton linen.

SPINNING / WEAVING

Our textile sampling and production are done by both skilled weavers and young students in weaving facilities and their homes in Jharkhand and Maheshwar. The yarns are first naturally dyed to the required colours, dried for days and then handspun on the charkha before being handed over to the weavers. The weaving process is intensive, where each loom can only accommodate up to 10 meters of weaving at a time. A sample swatch of one meter can include up to ten patterns out of which we decide upon the final stripe pattern for production.

The final design is documented along with the yarn count, yarn colours and quality before we proceed to production. We decided to use cotton and linen yarns for our collection to create a lightweight and durable fabric, suitable for everyday wear and travel.

We hope you enjoyed seeing our process!

Photos: ANOMALY Studio