Veteran textile designer Madhu Jain hosted a private gathering at Hauz Khas Village to launch her spring summer collection. Here’s everything about the clothes and the guests. By Team Born of Web
Spring is in the air! It’s time to shake off the woollies and embrace the coolness and elegance of Indian cottons. Veteran textile designer Madhu Jain hosted an evening at Ogaan, Hauz Khas, to introduce her latest spring summer collection. On display were clothes, inspired by Uzbekistan’s ikkat, alongside a retrospective of her signature Andhra Pradesh and Odisha Ikat styles into which she has infused the Buddhist Mandala design inputs from the textile traditions of Thailand.
Union Minister Maneka Gandhi launched the collection in presence of Poonam Bhagat, Sonam Dubal, Alpana Gujral, Neelam Pratap Rudy, Shovana Narayan and others.
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“The collection showcases a confluence of two cultures—Indian and Uzbek—that share so much in common. Seeing the unifying threads in the traditional weaves of two different regions is something that enthuses and challenges me. I then set about seeing how I can amalgamate the beauty in each to produce a totally new weave that nonetheless stays true to the distinctiveness of the individual cultures,” she said.
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Elaborating her point, she explained that in Andhra, for instance, Ikkat fabric is produced on pit looms, and semi-circular frames are used in the preparation of warp and weft. The design sensibility leans towards geometricals. In Odisha, on the other hand, Ikkat is inspired by temple motifs and also by nature. So, you will notice parrots, flowers, elephants, and deer. And also, Navagunjara, an animal that is considered to be an incarnation of Vishnu, and which you will find incorporated in Odisha’s traditional Pattachitra paintings. “I took both sets of elements and combined them to come up with contemporary weaves that remain rooted in the traditional forms,” said Madhu.
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Madhu Jain’s Uzbek-inspired collection does just that! In Uzbekistan, cotton or silk Ikkat coats were often created as robes of honour and formal gifts. They were worn only by the nobility or by rich merchants who could afford to buy these exquisite creations. The colour palette was rich and very, very royal—reds, golden-yellows, incandescent purples. For this collection, Madhu has worked with master weavers to create a convergence of two distinct styles with a colour palette that is largely influenced by Indigo.
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