Madhu Jain retrospective celebrates her 29 years in fashion

New Delhi, Feb 24 (IANS) Craft revivalist and textile conservationist Madhu Jain, who is known for promoting indigenous forms of textile weaving and design, completes 29 years in the fashion industry and will celebrate the milestone through a retrospective showcasing her love towards Ikkat.

Scheduled to take place in the capital on Thursday, Jain will showcases her brand-new Uzbek-inspired Ikkats, alongside a work of her signature Andhra Pradesh and Odisha Ikkat. Into these she has infused the Buddhist Mandala design inputs from the rich textile traditions of Thailand.

“My fresh 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," she said.

"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."

Jain said, “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, 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. Uou will find it 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 the designer.

Jain’s forte lies in developing textiles in distinctive combinations of two different weaving traditions to create new textiles, high on quality and design.

In her 29-year career, the designer has experimented extensively with textiles and continues to innovate to craft unique blends that are characteristically true to her natural fibres label.

Even for her latest collection, Jain has worked with master weavers to create a convergence of two distinct styles with a colour palette that is largely influenced by Indigo.