Textiles tell tales

For some, it's just a piece of cloth, but for others, textiles are as much a piece of art as art itself. 

We don’t realize it, but since centuries, textiles have been at the very heart of our existence. Especially in a multicultural country like ours. For decades now, Indian textiles have evolved with the development of civilization. So much so, that they can be used as a map of our culture.

Textiles tell tales of the hands that made them, the time they were made in, the purpose they were made for and how they have been passed down through generations, the same piece of clothing gracing different periods of time.

Just like food, textiles can trace a person back to their roots. Most of us have a sweater that was stitched together by their grandmother. Some of us were handed a family saree that’s been passed down for generations. A few of us managed to fit into their elder sibling’s old pair of jeans that began fading a while ago or look smart in a kurta that would only be ogled at when donned by their elders.

Textiles help shape a person’s identity. 

Think about it - before you've even started a dialogue with someone, it is what they are wearing that will introduce themselves. Before an individual starts talking, it is their clothes that speak for them. What a person is dressed in will be the differentiating factor between you approaching them to have a conversation or avoiding their gaze altogether. 

Textiles speak volumes of character, creativity and even values and traditions.

The first impression is the last impression. Your appearance influences your demeanor. This is the reason we spend a considerable amount of time picking out what we want to wear before we head out. 

Depending on the time of the day, we shortlist a few clothes based on the “look” we want to carry. We sift through our wardrobes in search of clothes that we can find that bring about this look - matching colours, textures, stripes and solids. We stir up the creativity within our minds to come up with a particular pairing that appreciates the event and furthers the look. 

It’s safe to say, over and above everything else, textiles bring out the creativity in people.

We leverage this creativity when we’re out shopping for clothes too. Before we make a purchase, we’re always imagining what it would be paired with from our own wardrobes. Our creativity really comes into play during such times and our buying decisions are based on whether we can match what we’re out to purchase with something we have at home. 

If getting dressed is an exercise, creativity is our coach.