Tradition and Change - Autumn 2009 collection July 29, 2009

Continuing its committed campaign in support of handlooms, Utsav's visualizer Shashiv Chandran will show his autumn 2009 collection entitled Tradition and Change. The fascinating history of India 's handlooms is an epic tale of invention, innovation, utility, pattern, design and trade. Every region in India is proud of its distinct heritage of cotton and silk weaves that have produces stunning Sarees and astonishing Fabrics. Simultaneously, these handlooms have been a lifeline for millions of weavers who have struggled to eke a livelihood through weaving with their hands. The Sarees they have created have evolved through the mist of history and have been burnished by tradition. India's fabled handlooms have resisted the lure of mechanization, to remain a celebration of what is possible within the realm of hand-driven labour. The specializations that the handloom industry has developed to support itself have generated jobs and income for millions of villagers in India . All this is suddenly facing the threat of modern times! Changing consumer behaviour, erratic market patterns, lack of sustained funding and banking, intense industrialization of weaving centres, increasing westernization of garment preferences, are all threats looming large over the handloom sector today. As our weavers struggle to make sense of a changing global scenario, Utsav seeks to draw attention both to the glory and the fragility of the handloom industry, best exemplified in the saree that is probably India's best known global brand, is today at serious risk. Tradition and Change showcases heritage handlooms from weaver communities across our nation, sometimes embellished with other hand-work like embroideries or prints, but always expressive of the human spirit that creates products of hand-woven and hand-printed excellence.

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