Exploring the craft of weaving Jamdani and Muslin fabrics

In the month of October, 2017, two lovely young German Sustainable Fashion Designers approached me to take them on a tour to show them the crafts of Bengal.  Given that we had only one day at hand, I thought the best craft to see would be the UNESCO certified Jamdani weave and the ancient craft of weaving the diaphanous Muslin cotton. Muslin is the fine fabric that once used to epitomize the dexterity of Bengal’s weavers and was highly coveted by the lovers of finer things in life.

 

Early in the morning we left Kolkata with the two Designers, myself and our very resourceful driver.  The journey took us away from the hustle and bustle of Kolkata into the long stretch of the highway and the abundance of Kash flowers which bloom only in the Fall.  Bengal had just finished celebrating the largest and most important festival of Durga Puja, the worship of the Goddess of Power (Shakti) and the pace was slow in the towns we drove through.

The ladies enjoyed some local sweet delicacies and the "bharer cha" (milk tea in a clay cup)!  By the time we reached closer to our destination of the first village, it was time for lunch.  Now, the town we were in, didn't really have any good restaurants that had amenities suitable for tourists.  So, we had to take the help of a very nice traffic policeman who made a few calls and told us of a place that we could use for food and an hour of freshening up in safety and comfort!

A home cooked meal of rice, dal  and vegetables was served which we enjoyed immensely and headed out to the village of Jamdani weavers.  Jam (flower) and Dani (vase) is a Persian word that came to Bengal with the mixing of various cultures, migration, rulers, etc.  The intricate weave takes meticulous precision, attention to detail, and very skilled hands, where the pattern in woven on top of the base fabric, all in simultaneous precision!  Starting their work at 5:30/6:00am and ending at 6:00pm, the weavers can weave up to 4-5m of fabric a day!  With monsoons every year, their homes that hold the looms, get flooded and disrupt work.  Still, they persevere and continue the craft they inherited from their ancestors!

After enjoying more hospitality of sweets and laughter from the weaver families, petting their cows, and picking up a few Jamdani scarves from their workshop, we headed out for the village of Muslin weavers.

As we entered the village, all we could hear was the click-clack of the looms in action throughout the village.  It was quite relaxing.  We stopped by a few homes to learn more about the yarn, the fabric, the history and see the weaving in action.  Muslin, is Hand-woven from an uncommon and delicate yarn, and it was found in Bangladesh and Bengal and was exported to Europe for much of the 17th and 18th century.  Noble ladies in Europe and the Royalty in India, all favored Muslin as the fabric of fashion!  It is said, that the finest quality of Muslin is so light and fine that a 6 yard fabric can pass through a finger ring!

After a very productive and immersive experience, and an entourage of villagers saying farewell to us and our guests, we returned to Kolkata in the evening, while discussing possibilities of working with these weavers in the future.

The Rajboori Story - Bringing Design to Life - Monsoon in Calcutta I

Aug - Sep 2008

Filled with memories and inspiration from our trip to India, the design phase began in New York, primarily in Stephen's studio. After an intense 2 - 3 month design process, quite a few iterations, we were ready for the next phase of Rajboori - Sample Development. This would be the phase where we put the skills of the weavers and the artisans to the test as our designs were by no means - SIMPLE.

True to what Style Noir says in their blog (http://stylenoir.blogspot.com/2009/01/stephen-burks-eco-silks.html), Stephen is noted for "his seamless integration of classic handcrafts and modern aesthetics". Our debut collection would be a luxurious blend of contemporary design and age-old techniques and craftsmanship.

Given the highly technical nature of the designs and the intricate details involved, I decided to travel to India one more time, to personally oversee and manage the sample development process. Our goal was to have the first iteration ready by September so that we could apply for the NYIGF Winter 2009 show to launch Rajboori.

Monsoon season was in full swing in the Eastern part of India but that didn't deter me from diving right in to the process. Armed with my design folder and Vancouver-proven rain boots, I arrived in Calcutta in Aug. The cool nights and balmy days reminded me of my childhood spent in this bustling metropolis where the Rajboori organic silk collection would take shape.

First, I made a short trip to the village, where I documented the weaving process and captured the moments through photographs. The unique and extremely geometric jacquard pattern was woven in looms with 10 paddles, that had to be monitored by two people constantly so that the weave would be done in the exact shape and size. Such intricate weaving technique is known only to a few master weavers, whose skills are preserved exclusively within their families.

The dual tones in the diamond shaped patterns were even more difficult to weave but when they were done, the final effect was much, much better than what I had imagined it would be. The women of the house also get involved in the whole process where they make the bobbins that go into the looms in which the fabrics are woven.

It's pretty amazing to see a concept design come to life right before your eye, step by step. In our case, the initial steps was long but the end result was worth the wait.