Reviving the traditional weaves

Nayaab’s ninth edition is celebrating the Indian weaves, age-old embroideries, textures and natural dyes with its ongoing exhibition in the capital city. There are as many as 21 revivalist designers. These include Anju Modi, Payal Pratap, and Pero among others, who are showcasing uniquely designed couture creations using traditional Indian textiles.

Curated by Rupa Sood and Sharan Apparao, Nayaab gives the traditional Indian textiles their much-deserved space in the world of fashion. “We requested the designers to do something different for us and they responded positively and have re-invented the traditional weaves,” said Sood, who focuses on pure fabrics while discouraging the synthetic fabric.

The constant pressure of competition is always there but Sood says that it all depends on patronage. “This is our ninth edition, so over time people have realised that we bring something new and different to the table. People are now looking forward to the exhibition. Also, completion is always there and maybe somebody will come up with a better Nayaab. Who knows? But we are trying our best.”

From reviving old prints and creating eco-printing to reworking on gota and taking it to a new level, the exhibition has them all. And Sood, who believes that Nayaab is made by its designers is very particular about who they bring on board.

“Aesthetics is really important to us. It is only then we take it forward. And the selected designers reflect the essence of Nayaab.” While Nayaab’s popularity is on a rise, Sood doesn’t want to scale up the event to more than 21 designers. “We went from 18 designers to 21 and that’s the upper limit that we don’t want to cross because, for us, it is about our passion and not money.”