Revival of Mashroo - A dying fabric tradition

Many years ago, Calico Mills in Ahmedabad, India, used to be at the forefront of innovative textile design and manufacturing. My mother's generation used to love visiting the exclusive Calico Mills showroom in Pondy Bazaar in Chennai to check out their latest selection of sarees. My mother's loyalty probably had something to do with the fact that my father had worked at Calico Mills in Ahmedabad and we had spent some years there. At the time I was in college, my mother and I had picked up the latest that Calico Mills offered - the Mashroo saree; Calico sarees were semi-synthetic with a blend of cotton and polyester, and this particular creation was named Mashroo after the vertical striped design. I still remember mine, in vivid shades, typical of Gujarat - saffrons, reds and greens.

The original Mashroo, sadly, is a dying textile traditon. The literal meaning of the word, 'Mashroo' means 'permitted' in Arabic. Traditionally, the use of pure silk was prohibited for Muslim men and it is possible that this weave evolved as a result of weaving traditions prevalent in the Middle-East. The Mashroo is usually composed of a silk warp and a cotton weft. The ground material is therefore cotton, while the top layer is smooth and shiny - satin cotton augmented by silk. Even though historically, Mashroo was woven in all parts of India, it survives today only in Gujarat.

The most prevalent colours were orange, red and green in bold combinations of stripes. Designs also evolved to include other resist techniques such as Ikat interspersed with the stripes.

It is exciting to see that young designers in India are starting to revive such heritage textiles. Ashish, Viral and Vikrant, a trio of designers based out of Ahmedabad debuted at the Wills India Fashion Week ramp last season. Their Spring-Summer collection past September was a feast of the very Indian kalamkaris and chanderis. (See my earlier post on Kalamkari). While others toe the international fashion line, these three unearth fabrics dying a slow death. Their new collection under the label 'Virtues' will breathe new life into the wilting fabric tradition of Mashroo. “There is a lot of awareness about the organic and natural dye clothes in Japan and Europe,” says Ashish. The young designers have managed to carve out a niche for themselves in the international market with their style. After their first show, Japan’s Sun Motoyama placed an order for 46 pieces; since then they have also begun retailing from a couple of fashion houses in Kuwait.

I, for one, am waiting anxiously to make my next trip to India and revive my own love-affair with Mashroo!!

The Hindu : Metro Plus Chennai / Lifestyle : Natural norm