Making Jamdani Trendy

Jamdani was originally known as Dhakai named after the city of Dhaka, one of many ancient textile weaving centers in Bengal. A. Das delves

- A. Das

The word jamdani is thought to be a Persian origin word, derived from jam (which translates to flower) and dani (which means vase). Jamdani is a weaving technique, which for the longest time, has been tied up to Dhaka before the partition of Bengal. Jamdani, is a supplementary weft technique of weaving, where the artistic motifs are produced by wefts that hold the warp threads together. The difficulty level and the intricacy depends on the fineness of the base fabric, extra weft-like zari, and the number of colours involved.

The craft has undergone a lot of change over the decades, thanks to the designers who actively presented jamdani to showcase their design aesthetics.

DESIGNER TOUCH

Payal Khandwala showcased a limited edition of jamdani saris in 2020 at Lakme Fashion Week as a part of a very special show All About India, which focused on artisans and the crafts of India. The limited collection of jamdani saris woven by hand is an exploration of a craft typically woven in fine muslin on handlooms.

The central idea was to rethink a skill in a context that was entirely new. The scale of the traditional motifs which are typically smaller — either floral or geometric — were redesigned as an extension of a modern wildflower print story, to be both exaggerated and graphic.