Expert on muslin inspires young textile and fashion enthusiasts at JDBI

Expert on muslin inspires young textile

and fashion enthusiasts at JDBI

“The young generation of Indians should understand the legacy of India’s rich heritage in textiles and rise up to protect the dying traditions and once again try to keep alive and revive the fabled craft of fine muslin which is gradually getting lost and is mostly done through instinct, eye and experience,” said top design-historian and author Dr Sonia Ashmore while addressing the students of textile science, clothing and fashion studies of J.D.Birla Institute (JDBI) here today. The interactive session "In Search of Woven Air: Following the Threads of Muslin" was jointly organized by JDBI and Weaver’s Studio.

Dr Ashmore, who specializes in traditional craft of weaving, is famous for her seminal book Muslin published by V&A Books London which is a comprehensive and enlightening account on the history of fabled muslins, from its handwoven origins in Bengal, to its export and manufacturing in British, America and France. Muslins were the pride of the undivided Bengal and the prized fabrics much sought after Arabs and Romans alike during the pre independence ear.

“Dr. Ashmore’s deep insights on muslins in particular shall help our students understand the glorious history associated with the fabric that has also been described to be ‘as thin as air’. Students will greatly benefit from this interaction and will be motivated to pursue careers in the field of traditional textiles,”said Prof. Deepali Singhee, Principal of J.D. Birla Institute, who has been teaching the subject for over two decades.

Reflecting on the craft of muslin making, Dr Sonia Ashmore said that not much has changed in muslin-making tradition in Bengal and Bangladesh. “One must appreciate the amount of human effort and skills required to manufacture a Jamdani saree. It takes two men 30 weeks to complete a saree,” she said.

Dr Sonia Ashmore’s tryst with muslin began with opening drawers at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, - considered to be the world’s largest museum of applied and decorative arts and design housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. She got valuable material for research on muslin from the “dusty old documents” at the Indian Section of the British Library. She has also extensively toured across Asia and Europe, meeting artisans, weavers and personal collectors of muslin.

“Indians have stopped wearing traditional dress. Also, lack of high-quality yarn and the danger of losing traditional skills and the role of intermediaries are killing this traditional craft of muslin. If an average muslin worker has to work 10 hours a day on producing fabric materials, how can one expect the next generation to take up this profession at an early age,” Dr Sonia Ashmore said.

JDBI, Principal, Deepali Singhee, narrated her experience in Gujarat where she witnessed a 1 metre of muslin cloth fitting into a match box. “I am sure students here at JDBI textile science, clothing and fashion studies would pick up the thread and work on reviving muslin.”

Ms Amita Mitra of Weavers Studio felicitated Dr Ashmore with a memento on the occasion.

ABOUT J.D. BIRLA INSTITUTE:

 J.D. Birla Institute, established 54 years ago, is an Institute of higher learning committed to thoughtful and serious education for young minds in the fields of Food Science & Nutrition Management; Textile Science; Clothing & Fashion Studies; Interior Designing; Human Development; Commerce and Management, both at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels.

The Institute provides graduate, post-graduate degrees under affiliation to Jadavpur University and was awarded with ‘A’ Grade by NAAC in 2010.

 It has a combined strength of 1800⁺ students and well-qualified faculty members and other staff. The Institute has been ranked high amongst institutes of higher learning in the country by several rating agencies including India Today, The Week, Career 360 and Times Magazine.

ABOUT WEAVER’S STUDIO:

On December 7, 1993, a 200 sq ft textile studio was set-up by Ms. Darshan Shah at a nondescript address in Ballygunge, Kolkata. Use as many hands as possible was the mission statement. Young women from different strata of society were employed and trained in the language and aesthetics of our rich textile heritage. The retail space, now a 2000 sq ft studio, displays and sells high quality Indian handcrafted wearable textiles. Weavers Studio’s innovation creations are inspired by historical textiles, Indian trade cloths, seasons, ethnic tribes, across the border cultures and contemporary techniques.