For everyone who adore and cherish the intricate art of embroidery, there is always an inherent understanding that the shawl/stole/purse or wall hanging that is purchased is most likely the only piece that exists. As I am moving more deeply into my endeavors in the fashion world, I am realizing that all embroidery is a one of a kind art form. Even work like Kantha, which has been used in our collections, is very difficult to replicate. The reason? Most of the women who make this embroidery use it as a form of expression. They like to explore their skills as a means of telling their stories and each artisan is unique in their handicraft.
This creates some problems for us in the fashion world who want to proliferate this art all over the world. Common practice of duplication is not possible and many use innovative methods to generalize designs. One such organization is Qasab in Bhuj. They help develop their artisans by providing signature cushion covers and handbags that are embroidered in variety of ways. On my visit to their office today, I saw all the women busy cutting up embroidery to create a melange of colors for an order of 800 wall hangings. "Embroidery for 800 pieces is almost impossible to execute in a short span of time", says Meenaben, one of the main organizers for the group, " We had to creatively make artwork using existing embroidered fabrics to ensure the order is executed fast". She is one of the few people in Gujarat who has been encouraging artisans to execute domestic and international orders in a timely manner in order to ensure repeat orders and economic stability.
Seeing this wonderful organization in action really made me think about the various techniques of embroidering and how we can make the fabrics more accessible and usable in the fashion industry. The only answer is to create haute couture or one of a kind lines that will be fit a select customer base. At Avni, we really want to explore this as an exclusive collection for customers that value individual freedom of expression. We also hope to move the artisans back to more environmentally friendly methods that were traditionally used such as natural dyes and organic cotton.
