CHENNAI: Ikkat is always in the air with Madhu Jain. Vehemently against artificial fabric of any kind, the designer, craft revivalist and textile conservationist has been rallying for the cause for over 20 years. Her passion for handwoven textiles predates her first formal collection, which was a blend of two weaves— the Baluchari from West Bengal and the Kalakshetra weave from Tamil Nadu. Through her work, she aims to bring handloom to the masses and strengthen the entire sector.
“My heart lies with ‘swadeshi’, and this is what I have actively promoted over the last 30 years. I never source textiles from the market,” she informs. “Rather, I work closely with master weavers in developing one-of-a-kind textiles, which are almost always a blend of two different weaving sensibilities that I marry together as a composite whole.”
Madhu has worked with several government and NGOs in development and design of indigenous textiles and crafts. “To meet a sustainable fashion goal, working in the handlooms sector is inevitable. By keeping alive an entire eco-system of handmade products and textiles, livelihoods are taken care of while the carbon footprint is kept at a minimum. An ideal co-existence!” she smiles. Her work has been lauded with many rewards and nominations, including ‘25 women of Excellence’ by FICCI FLO.
What is her favourite piece from her collection? “I have a special fondness for a dupatta into the iconic temple triad of Odisha’s Lord Jagganath, flanked by his sister Subhadra and brother Balabhadra has been woven. It was a very difficult piece to weave, and I have the utmost regard for my master weaver who really excelled himself in producing it.”
All her clothes are made from 100% organic materials, and each length of fabric is woven by hand on non-electric looms. What’s next for her professionally? “I’m on-track to reintroduce bamboo fabric to commemorate the 30th year of the Madhu Jain label. This time around, I shall be working on a bamboo-Ikat confluence.”
She starts from scratch for each of her collections, building a design and weaves palette, and then having these ideas executed by weavers. “My laboratory is the Indian village, you could say,” she opines.
Madhu is passionate about spreading awareness of the richness of India’s textile heritage. “I don’t have an entirely ‘business’ oriented approach. Yes, I want my artisans to prosper, to have guaranteed livelihoods. And I try to do that as best as I can,” she shrugs.
The designer will talk about her ensembles at 5 pm on September 22 at The Folly, Amethyst. The exhibition will be during September 23-25.