From the collection of Rema Kumar | Photo credit: Shrikant Narayan Arora
In 2021, textile designer Rema Kumar was approached by Madhavi Katuri (a friend who heads an NGO working with senior citizens) to upcycle a 70+ year old soft muslin saree from pre-Partition days Can go “It had simple scallop embroidery on the sides that had been done by her mother. The saree was priceless because of the memories attached to it. We had to find the best way to breathe new life into it, and we agreed to make two dupattas,” says Rema, who is all set to bring her latest collection, Textile Tales, to Chennai after three years. Working on it for two years, she says it has many pieces “that have been handblocked and detailing done during the pandemic to include artisans in different craft groups.”
Sarees, dupattas, blouses and kurta pieces in various weaves of cotton, Chanderi, Uttara, Banarasi, with a focus on Rema’s surface detailing techniques “various batik, ajrakh, kalamkari, handblock, pippali applique, embroidery, Dori Work, Ariwork, Zardozi, Patti Work, Kantha, Lambani Embroidery”. The highlight, however, is a special presentation by the New Delhi-based designer on her endeavor, Creating New Narratives, which kickstarted in the lockdown.
From the Creating New Narratives collection | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Aiming to revive precious weaves, Rema explains how the words upcycle, repurpose, slow fashion and sustainable living have “taken on a whole new meaning in the post-pandemic world”. “Though I have been doing saree makeovers for the past several years, we started reconnecting with our possessions, especially our wardrobes, during the lockdown. In the process, we found many sarees hidden away for years – some stained, some damaged or torn, and others that people had grown tired of,” she says. “One by one, blocks of hand, embroidery and/or Hundreds of sarees have seen incredible changes thanks to this initiative through more details. Apart from preserving precious memories and creating one-of-a-kind sarees, it is a big step towards responsible fashion.
As part of the presentation, Rema will share several images of these different changes, and the challenges involved in working around problem areas such as stains and tears. “The presentation will give visitors a fair idea about the possibilities of recycling their sarees and textiles in a similar manner,” says the designer, who encourages visitors to the event to bring their forgotten weaves for saree makeover advice. have been Through the initiative, sarees have made their way to Rema from all over the world. Some have been turned into dupattas, she says, and others into patchwork quilts. “During the lockdown, the trend of getting sarees pre-loved through various online platforms gained popularity. As a result, many customers send sarees to me for makeovers even before they reach their hands.
A snapshot of Madhavi Katuri’s upcycled sari | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
But his prized project till date is Madhuri’s only. “We used scallop embroidery on the two long sides of one dupatta and on the pallas of the other. The kota was a fabric chosen to maintain a uniform feel, then dyed to match the off-white, hand-blocked with pink floral blocks and borders, and finally finished with lace trims,” says Rema who are now all set to launch their home linen collection in Rajdhani next month.
“This is the culmination of a year-long series of design intervention workshops with Lambani artisans from Sandur, needlework and crochet artisans from Sewa Ruab and Crewel embroideries from Kashmir,” she says, with another launch project scheduled for 2023. This includes a training workshop for women artisans in Haryana. “They will create products from the surplus of fabric acquired from apparel manufacturing units, and excess yarn to create limited-edition knitted spindles.”
Textile Tales will be held from 23rd to 26th November at Weddings & Marigolds Studio, T Nagar, Chennai. For details, call 9840030126