HYDERABAD: Handloom industry in the Telangana State occupies a unique place in the country for its exclusive art and artifacts of handloom weavers. On the occasion of National Handloom Day of India, award-winning Textile Designer Gaurang Shah presented Amogham at Chitramayee State Art Gallery this weekend.
Organised by the Department of Handlooms & Textiles, Govt of Telangana, and the Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (TSCO), Amogham, the fashion show promoted the cultural glory of Telangana. The event was a blend of heritage handloom and art conversation with 400 people in attendance and was formally inaugurated by Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce & IT, Govt of Telangana.
The fashion show was an ensemble of 50-plus sarees and garments made from the textiles that are woven in Telangana, showcasing to the world the rich and diverse art that the State takes great pride in. The two-set fashion show was ably complimented by live Urdu poetry performed with violin music for sarees and lively and soulful qawwalis for the second set of garments. 26 models walked barefoot wearing ikkats from Pochampally and Puttapaka, gadwalls and lustrous fabrics from Narayanpet among other local fabrics. The cheriyal paintings done on fabrics in the form of a lehenga were an absolute classic.
The tassels using handcrafted etikoppaka toys, a specialty of the State, were eye-catching. The richness of handwoven chiffon, khadi, and kota were also presented exquisitely. Every fabric was developed on the looms of Telangana, giving the weavers work for year-round production.
The showstopper for the evening was none other than Hyderabadi sensation and Bollywood actress Tabu, who draped a traditional gharara with a short kurta and dupatta. “I am most comfortable in handlooms. It is Gaurang’s credit that he has maintained dignity and the values of handloom alive in so many ways. I couldn’t be happier than to walk for him and for handloom,” shares Tabu.
Talking about his collection Gaurang says, “We recreated the clothing of the Nizam Era which was found in the Zenana styles of the Chowmahalla Palace. Every art we have curated and showcased is not only a timeless body of work from Telangana but also timeless creatives. My endeavour through such events and multiple projects in the State has enabled common people, with no relation to textiles, to learn to weave.
Women, who are passionate about learning and working, have been encouraged to sit on a loom and learn the jamdani technique. Tabu is the only one person who came to my mind when we heard the brief initially about highlighting Telangana’s weaves.” Talking about their experience of working together, both the designer and his muse quipped with equal enthusiasm, “We have become a team now.”