It is rarely seen that textile can weave together a relation between two nations, but designer Madhu Jain did just that with traditional Ikat weaves of India and Uzbekistan. Ikat is a textile weaving style that originated in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha in India. Uzbekistan too has a tradition of Ikat weaves for making textile from natural fibres. Jain, who likes to be known more as textile conservationist and craft revivalist than a fashion designer, showcased her spring-summer 2016 collection that is created with a blend of Indian and Uzbek Ikat weaves.
The vibrant collection showcased at Ogaan in Hauz Khas Village on Thursday bore the distinct influence of Indian and Uzbek styles. Indian Ikat is more geometric in look while Uzbek used Ikat to weave silk robes for royals and hence had regal colours. Minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi, was the evening’s guest of honour.
The evening soiree saw an eclectic collection of fashion designers, textile lovers and socialites. Atisha Pratap Singh made her modelling debut. Her mother Neelam Pratap Rudy was visibly proud at her daughter’s first steps towards fashion modelling. Also spotted were designers Poonam Bhagat, Sonam Dubal, animal rights activist Ambika Shukla, Tikka Shatrujit Singh, Anita Meattle, Ruchi Malhotra Makhni and jewelry designer Alpana Gujral.