Leena Saravata

Dezyne E’cole College, Ajmer
2013-2014
This Project of Ms. Leena Saravata has been checked and every aspect of the design developed has been seen and overall grade is:-
Signature: Place:
Name: Date:

Content
• Acknowledgment
• College Profile
• Fashion Industry
• Synopses
• As A Fashion Designer
• Collection And Their Influences
• Composition Of A Design
• How A Collection Is Developed
• Case Study
• Office Wear
• Capsule Collection Design For Office Wear
• Motif Development And Print Making
• Saree Designs By Me
• Corel Assignments
• Photoshop Assignments
• Advance Drafting And Draping
• Orbito Assignments

Acknowledgment
I am deeply grateful to all those whose guidance has been of tremendous value and enable me to complete this project
successfully.
I am thankful to all my mentors of Dezyne E’cole College who gave me an opportunity to show my ability by
working on this project on the esteem organization and also helped me come up with various innovative ideas.
Leena Saravata
Bachelors Of Science In Fashion Technology

College Profile
Creating fashion doesn’t just entail a vivid imagination and instinct for creativity. It also involves many decisions and myriad
techniques, focused on a central idea. Dezyne E'Cole Fashion Design course builds a strong foundation in terms of design
sense, conceptualisation, independent research, creative application and individual artistic expression.
Fashion design runs the gamut from eveningwear to sportswear, women's wear to menswear, and kids wear to knitwear.
Students are asked to choose their area of interest and sharpen their creative ideas. Students are also introduced to various
historic fashion and art movements as exemplars and how these influence contemporary fashion. This is the very reason why
fashion houses, designer labels, luxury brands, apparel retail brands and ready-to-wear fashion industries seek our students.

• Student would have an opportunity to specialize in their area of interest in men’s wear / women’s wear.
• The student would have an opportunity to display their final project through a public presentation.
• Industry Experts and professionals in design and art related fields would be invited to interact with students.
• Students will undertake industry visits to fashion studios, apparel and textile manufacturing industry, craft locations and
fashion retail markets to understand the context of their learning and its ultimate application.
• Students will visit museums, exhibitions, trade fairs, and fashion events to have a firsthand experience of art, design and
fashion.
• Students would be encouraged to participate in fashion promotional events, competitions and seminars for a hands-on
experience.
Through this program students will undergo an in-depth industry experience, which includes industry internship followed by a
final design project. Other real time projects with due industry involvement, integrated within the curriculum, will impart to
students hands on experience of professional practice.
The intense one years of study culminates in a graduation fashion show called PORTFOLIO. At this gala event, the students’
creative fashion collections are staged at Kaleidoscope .This event helps the student to showcase their design skills to the
industry.

Synopses
This Project has been compiled as a final submission of the techniques learnt in Fashion Technology 2nd year and few from 1st
Year. We learnt many things during our study period. Draping, Garment Construction, design development CAD. We are
handling a case study, where we have designed a collection for a young girl inspired by the Oriental Countries and their
cultures. Just unfold the pages to see my work!
Leena Saravata
Bachelors In Fashion Technology

Fashion Industry
Within the sphere of technology industries, design technology is perhaps the fastest growing today. With new technologies
emerging rapidly and industries changing complexion, more and more job opportunities are up for the taking. It is estimated
that India will have a shortfall of five lakh people in the design sector by 2010- 11, but not all graduates will be employable.
Thus bringing the gap between talent and the skills required by the industry is important. Today, only one in every four
designers is employable and only 10% of the design graduates manage to get employment in the design industry. Hence the
students should understand the basic requirement of the industry and exhibit that ability.
The high expectations of the design industry are how clear is your concept of pattern engineering, along with the latest cad
systems which work on simulation stitching where the students do not require cloth to stitch and check their designs.
Students of fashion should have a good knowledge of cutting on the drape and cutting on flat, good fabric knowledge along
with a comprehensive knowledge of dress library only then a student of fashion can sketch a design, check the cutting,
fittings and finishing.

The fitting is done today on the computer virtually by feeding the measurements of the client in the computer and then the
cutting methodology has to be done which is further simulated, that is artificially stitched on the computer. This eases the
work, as it expedites the work and reduces cost as no cloth is needed. This technology has been adopted by the major
garment manufacturing industries as the lead time of production is too less. These skills are taught at Dezyne E'cole.
The fashion industry is exploding and everyone, it seems, is vying for a part in the action. To get ahead in the business and
sit with the ranks of Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, you as an aspiring designer should have some of the same qualities as
the world’s top designers. Here are some of the qualities you'll need to succeed as a designer:
• Strong Business Sense - A great fashion designer has excellent business skills. You understand budgets, marketing, and
sales concepts that are vital to getting designs produced and sold.
• Good Communication - A number of people are involved in the creation of a garment, and as designer, you must be able
to effectively communicate to everyone involved what he or she expects.
• Sense of Competition - You continually strive to do better than your peers to come up with quality innovative designs
quickly.
• Highly Creative - You have a great sense of style and are constantly coming up with new ideas for fashion.
• Strong Drawing Skills - Excellent drawing skills mean you can easily sketch your ideas onto paper to start the production
process.
• Good Eye for Materials - You have an eye for the materials of a garment, as well as the elements that make it unique,
such as colour and fabric.

• Strong Sewing Skills - You can construct the garments you design. You understand what materials work best in the
designs you are developing.
• Team Player - Great fashion designers work well as part of a team. Designing a garment for production involves the work
of many, from pattern making to sewing to shipping. As designer, you must be able to work well with all involved.
• Knowledgeable of Current Fashion Trends - You follows trends and have a good eye for anticipating what your
audience will respond to next.
• Strong Visualization Abilities - Good fashion designers can visualize a garment before ever putting an idea on paper. You
can see the finished product well before production and can put your ideas into words and onto paper so others can grasp the
idea as well.

As A Fashion Designer
As a part of this fashion industry I am training my self through formal education in bachelor of science in fashion
technology BSc FT and industry oriented diploma program. During my course of study , I learn about the fashion
industry and its history and how it evolved as it is today during this period of time , my mentors help me to understand
the art of constructing a garment into reality through different method like draping and garment constructing through
drafting to design and develop we must have and ideal dress form for the size we need for our client . Draping worked as a
very helpful method of developing a garment . While working with draping we created many basic and innovative
garments, and during my study I have mastered the art of fabric draping on toil and have created garment with the use of
darts , dart manipulation techniques, other 3D art like origami , knotting, and fabric manipulation.
I also worked on 2D pattern engineering for garment construction where I learn the construction and development of kids
wear, women’s wear and men’s wear. In kids wear, I learn the construction of basic child's bodice block, sloper sleeve
block and innovative garments like jumpsuits, rompers, frocks etc. for kids of different age group, innovative sleeves like
puff sleeve, ruffle sleeve, cap sleeve, kimono sleeve, Magyar sleeve, skirts like tier skirt, circular skirt, handkerchief skirt,
gored skirt, tulip skirt, hip rider skirt, collars peter pan, ruffle, sailor, stand collar, etc. I also developed women’s basic
bodice block, sleeve block and other innovative traditional like kameez, patiala salwar, churidar salwar, contemporary and
western wear like skirts, dresses tops and tunics. Also in my course of men’s garments, I develop basic men’s bodice
block, men’s shirt, classic shirt, casual shirt, work wear shirt innovative garments , trouser and other traditional men’s
wear garments like Nehru Kurta, Kalidar Kurta, Alighari Pyjama. Apart from these garments study I also learn the skill of
grading ,marker making, layout and specification of all garments created by me.

As the technological advancement are taking place , cutting of cloth is no more by hands instead cad machine have replace
them. We too learned the same through the use of orbito CAD, a 2D computer aided drafting for garment construction during
my study, I mastered my skills with industry oriented 2D CAD orbito. This software allow us to develop all those pattern
that we made on paper pattern. Grading ,grain names , specification ,cutting line ,side seam etc. like information can also be
specified in this software. This software is very helpful in industry where the production in mass amount and in less period of
time is very important .
When we design or create a garment, we also need to decorate the fabric using various techniques of surface design. A very
popular method of surface design is printing, hence knowledge about how they are done and how from which material this
process is completed. Embroidery is also a very known and beautiful art of decorating piece of textile or a garment , hence I
studied and practice different type of embroidery. We learnt and study about traditional Indian embroidery and also practiced
some decorative stitches and embroidery.
Another technique of surface design is the fabric manipulation, it is a very beautiful art in which the fabric manipulated in
different form to produce beautiful texture and some times 3D effect. In my college campus, I study and learnt many
beautiful method of fabric manipulation form which some of them are presented in further chapter of this project portfolio.

During my study, I practice some of the surface design technique, like the art of embroidery, where I learnt various decorative
stitch type use in the traditional embroidery around the world, I also, practice many embroidery like kantha and phulkari.
Some of the printing and dyeing we practice during our study include, the block printing, tie and dye ,brush painting on fabric
for the batter understanding of how they are produce. Apart from their techniques I also mastered in the art of fabric
manipulation, in which I practice some, including box pleat manipulation technique. Slash and spread technique, wave pleat
manipulation, dart manipulation technique and other.
Without a fabric, these design can never be transformed into reality hence we study the type of textile, its properties and how
it is produce. A design must have knowledge about the fabric they want to use in their design and also its properties. As a
designer it is also important for me to study then textile, its processes and its properties. So that I can apply and use them in
my design according to my need , in this study I learnt different weave types and fabric type, (woven ,non woven and knitted
and other decorative textile), looms ,finishes etc.
When we design a garment , can not directly drape it on dress form or stitch it, hence drawing our basic idea on paper is the
best way to see how the design would work on form and if it need some correction and addition to be done, it is easier t do it
with the help of a pencil only. To master illustration and also to study how other design created their design and collection. I
studied various Indian and western designers work to understand the way a dress can be created.

Collection And Their Influences
Archivism
In a fashion context, archivism refers to the way in which designers look back to previous collections for inspirations. In
particular the original aesthetics of a well established label may be revisited decades later, with collection referencing the
same design influences and detailing. For example Italian nobleman Emilio Pucci was popular throughout the 1960’s for his
use of wild , colorful patterns taken from renaissance paintings, filigree, feathers, animals, stained glass, windows and
ceramic tiles. He designed simple belted dresses, bodysuits, boat necks tops and pants in silk jersey. These iconic bold
prints continue to be reference today, with creative directors such as Mathew Williamson bringing the label up to date for
the modern costumer.
Designers such as Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel and John Galliano for Christian Dior continue to reference the fashion houses
iconic statements, playing with scale, logo and accessories. These designers continue to update the signature of the past.
These fashion sources fluctuate in importance and influence due to trend directions and fashion ever changing aesthetics.
Many designers change direction from season to season or combine additional source materials and influences to refresh
their signatures or styles. It is useful to see how other designers derives influence.
Karl Lagerfeld Karl LagerfeldJohn Galliano

Conceptual influence
The origin of contemporary ,conceptual fashion may well be credited to the Japanese designers Rei Kawakubo, Yohoji
Yamamoto, Issey Miyake. For decades these designers have been producing the most intriguing, provocative fashion by
creating new ways of cutting and constructing. Conceptual collections are often beautiful timeless, ageless and dislocated
from most visual narratives, however they can also be challenging abstract or unrelenting in identity, diminishing their
influence on fashion trends. There is usually little or no decoration to obscure the essence of the proportions, cut, finishes, or
quality of fabric used. Beauty derives from the garments’ core components and constructions.
Rei Kawakubo Issey Miyake
Yohoji
Yamamoto Rei Kawakubo

Global Influence
International developed the world and influence knowledge Japanese Kimono, Chinese Cheongsams, Indian Sari, Tartans,
Jacquard, Ikkat, Paisley, Russian Prints, Norwegian Snow Flacks Knit Design went on refining and developed into new
fashion collections.
Two such examples are Kenzo and Dries Van Noten. Kenzo has champions an multicultural narrative, placing Russian Floral
Prints.
Kenzo Dries Van Noten Dries Van NotenKenzo

Political Influence
Fashion reflects society and designers will often reference political change in their collection. Messages through the clothes
that we wear can be subversive and can be bold statements to create a reaction. Katharine Hamnett famously did this when
she invented the slogan t-shirt in the 1980’s. These now iconic t-shirts were basic white with large bold black lettering
featuring socio political massage such as antiwar statements. She intended for her slogan to be copied and read by people all
over the world. Hamnet has now move on to the global problems of ethics in the fashion manufacturing process, she is one of
the designers responsive for introducing organic cotton to the masses.
A number of designers have set a fair trade and ethical labels, such as People Tree and 123, who publish manifestos to
promote their beliefs.
Margret Thatcher And Katharine
Hamnett
T-shirt with slogan ‘SAVE
THE WORLD’
T-shirt with Obama
Portrait Print

Form and function
Functional garment like military wear and expedition clothing, work wear and utility clothing fall under this category of
design there performance erogenous of the wearer , activities and environment are paid attention while designing & work are
example here.
Sports wear
• Functional garment such as military wear and expedition clothing have long influence fashion designer.
• Military clothing has attractive many designer such as Robert Cary Williams, Calvin Klein . They got attracted by its
camouflage and silhouette. Calvin Klein created military inspire parka worn over neat single breasted suit. With the shirt
and tie.
• The safari jacket , riding jacket, cargo pants bicker jacket , trench coat (long coat) Burberry launch the trench coat after
clothing the British army in the first world war today the trench coat is considered world war stable and has been and its
inspiration dress, evening wear and children wear.
• In the early 1980’s American designer Norma Kamali Launched traditional sweat shirting as a fashion fabric. This was
successful and came a new style of clothing. Sports wear brand “puma” collaborated with designer “Alexander
McQueen” Fred Berry has worked with common designer. Garcon to design the refreshing polo shirt Adidas created y3
Yohji Yamamoto .

Work wear
• Work wear introduced in the year late 18th century by levis Traus. He created the first work wear know as denim.
• This denim is used in unlimited fashion stories and is a high end fashion.
Yohoji Yamamoto Yohoji Yamamoto Norma Kamali Calvin Klein

Futuristic Influence
This means taking fashion in a new direction. Example Coco Chanel designed garments by removing the age old corsets of
the Edwardian Period development of modern clothes keeping into mind the client needs.
US designer Geoffrey Beene is a futuristic designer and he has been the main person for the modern women wear design.
In 1950’s and 1960’s French designer Pierre Cardin, Andre Courreges, Pacco Rabanne designed futuristic space age fashion
taking reference from science friction rather than historical and traditional sources.
Cardin was the first couturier to launch readymade garments as reflected by demands of society.
Pacco Rabanne Pacco Rabanne
Geoffrey
Beene Andre Courreges

Composition Of Design
Elements of design are visual components of design. These are basic things to know before developing a collection. These
Elements are:-
• Line
• Shape
• Form
• Color
• Texture
• Value

• Lines are used to create a shape, pattern, movement or an optical illusion with thick, thin, smooth, long, short
characterization.
• Lines are of different kinds:-
1. Straight Line
2. Curved Line
3. Zigzag Line
4. Composite Line
• Lines are used in different ways in any garments like:-
1. Structural Lines
• Style Lines
• Hemlines
• Necklines
• Plackets
• Collars
• Cuffs
2. Decorative Lines.
• Tucks
• Darts
• Prints
• Embroidery

Shape
 Two-dimensional flat forms, having only length and width, are usually described as shapes.
 Shapes are of different kind like:-
• Geometric shapes:- Geometric Shapes are the shapes that can be drawn using a ruler or compass. Mechanical shapes,
whether simple or complex, produce a feeling of control or order.
• Organic shapes:- Organic Shapes are freehand drawn shapes that are complex and normally found in nature.
 Shapes are used in following ways in any garment:-
• Hemline
• Sleeves
• Embroidery Design
• Prints

Form
• Form may be described as any three dimensional object.
• Form can be measured, from top to bottom (height), side to side (width), and from back to front (depth). Form is also defined
by light and dark.
• It can be defined by the presence of shadows on surfaces or faces of an object. There are two types of form, geometric (man-
made) and natural (organic form).
• In garments it is used as a silhouette, it is outer edge of the garment. Commonly used silhouette are :-
1. Wedge
2. Triangular
3. Hourglass
4. Rectangular
Wedge Shape Silhouette Triangular Shape
Silhouette
Rectangular Shape
Silhouette
Hour Glass Shape
Silhouette

Color
• Color can play a large role in the elements of design with the color wheel being used as a tool, and color scheme providing
a body of practical guidance to color mixing.
• Color is used in any garment with the help of color wheel and color key.
• Various color schemes are:-
1. Monochromatic
2. Polychromatic
3. Single complementary
4. Double complementary
5. Achromatic
6. Neutral
7. Split complementary
8. Analogous

Texture
• Both a tactile and visual surface quality which may be rough or smooth, soft or hard with resultant light being
reflected unevenly by the surface
• Texture can be added to attract or repel interest to an element, depending on the pleasantness of the texture.
• Texture is used according to the texture wheel in any design.

High Value
Intermediate
Value
Low Value
Value
• Light is a supportive medium with the amount reflected by a surface is known as
value.
• Value changes can be achieved by adding black or white to the color.
• Tint:- When we add white color in any pure hue.
• Tone:- When we add gray color in any pure hue.
• Shade:- When we add black color in any pure hue.
• Tint:- When we add white color in any pure hue.
• Tone:- When we add gray color in any pure hue.
• Shade:- When we add black color in any pure hue.
Value Scale:
The designer uses subtle illusions with the use of blending of colors.
Visual effects of values:
• Lighter tones make form advance and appears larger.
• Dark values appear to recede and reduce in size.
• Asymmetric use of contrast distorts proportion and makes one side appear brighter
than the other side.
• Strong contrast are used to remove the attention from an undesirable feature.
• When use together light tone make dark tones appear darker and dark tones make light
tones appear lighter. Light grey looks light when used with black and grey looks darker
when used with white.

Contrast
• Contrast means difference in elements.
• It is obtained by each and every element as shown below.
Is Is Not
Line Shape Form Line Shape Form
Color Texture ValueColor Texture Value

Unity
• Unity means that arrangement exists among the elements in a design, they look as though they belong to one family.
• It contain following things:-
1. Simplicity
2. Repetition
3. Proximity(Grouping)
Gradation
• Gradation in art is a visual technique to create movement from one color
to another, from one shape to another, one texture to another.
• Space, distance, volume and curved or rounded forms are some of the visual
effects created with gradation.
• It occurs with a change in repetition with increasing or decreasing object.

Rhythm:
Rhythm is a timid beat which needs to be sensed by our eyes in any visual composition. Rhythm is not anything to be heard
by our ears in any visual composition.
• Repetition
• Gradation
• Radiation
Repetition:
Repetition occurs when lines, shapes, value, color is repeated and used more in any composition. Repetition can be regular
or irregular.
Types of regular Repetition:
• Straight Repetition
• Vertical Mirror Repetition
• Horizontal Repetition
• Vertical Half drop Brick Repetition
• Horizontal Half Drop Repetition
• Rotational Mirror Repetition
Repetition can be Regular, Parallel, Reversed, Dropped, Alternate And Sequential, Inverted.
Alternate is a method of repetition like: ShortLong, FatThin, RoundSquare, DarkLight.

Gradation:
Gradation Occurs with a change in repetition with increasing or decreasing object size or width.
Radiation
• It means radiating so many lines from a common point.
• It creates movement from that point to all that area where those radiations are going.
• It is used in many ways in our garment like:-
 Gathers
 Knotting
 Shirring, etc.

Balance
• Balance is the distribution of visual weight of design elements with in a composition.
Proportion
• Proportion refers to relative size measured against other elements.

Principles of Design
• Principles applied to the elements of design that bring them together into one design.
• Every design demands arranging of its components in manners which are best dictated by certain principles.
• These principles of design guide the arrangement of elements of design to make it a good piece of art.
• It is important for any artist or designer to arrange the element in a pleasing manner. Hence, knowledge and
understanding of these principles is important.
• Elements of design are:-
1. Contrast
2. Unity
3. Rhythm
4. Balance
5. Proportion

How A Collection Is Developed
To begin with any collection I need to study the market.
The need of the creation and style i.e. function of the garment has to be perfect.
Identify The Customer
Muse : Ideal or inspirational costumers are known as Muse. They are usually those figures who are known as the face to be
used for advertising and campaign.
Specific Market, Economic Influence, Market, Competitors Analysis, Social.
Customers today have more choice because of media infatuation with fashion, celebrity.
The collection should have more of story telling before you present the collection, we need to focus on creativity, wear
ability, if we need to succeed.
Research And Development
• Themes and direction for collection is done here, they are done in the form of images, drawing, mood board, sourced
garments, fabric cutting, trims, etc.
• Seasons are seen here, knitwear, summer wear, etc.
• Beading specialist, embroiders, hand craft tailor and fashion print designer, help in the collection.
• The Last is decided with the dress.

Archiving
For designing, a designer has to consider the discarded ideas can be put up in 3 dimensional collage to help in better
decision making . This acts as a personal data base.

Case Study
We have to make a collection for a college going youngster of the age group 16-25 years who has started her college after her
school education, we need to design at least six outfits from the dress code of the Indian Classic look Salwar Suit. You have
the full liberty to transform this outfit into as many trendy looks you can think off, keeping in mind the college youngster.
Client Profile
My client is a 20 years old college going girl, she has Asian fair skin, brown hairs and eyes, and she is 170 cm tall. She want
me to design an ensemble for her cousins' wedding ritual. My client demands an elegant and young looking attire with some
traditional colors.

Archiving
Before designing the collection I studied and understand the history of traditional Indian salwar suits, and how they were
worn on earlier days.

Theme Board
My Client’s demand for an elegant and young looking attire, took me to the Asian culture where I studied the cultures of
countries like China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam And Thailand.

Theme Board
Apart from studying the traditional garments and culture I also studied about various arts produced in these countries.

Mood Board
In my collection, I have decided to use the styles which is popular during this time period.

Collection
After studying and brainstorming about my client, occasion, and all other necessary points I came up with this collection.

Material Board
For my collection, I studied and observed various types of fabrics. I finally came up with few of the selected fabrics that I will
use in my collection.
HEAVY GEORGETTE
SILK218gm LACE GEORGETTE 40gm
CHIFFON SILK ZARI BROCAD SILK ZARI BROCAD
RAW SILK

The Complete Ensemble
Amongst all the designs from my collection, I have selected this dress and would like to showcase this design.
Mandarin Collar
Pakistani Kurta
Border at Hem
Cigarette Pants
Chiffon Dupatta
Shank Buttons
Front Opening

Fashion Flats
Seam Plain or Top Stitch ¼ inch or 6mm
Hem Finished with Hemming Hand stitch(3mm-5mm)
Lining used for body lining Polyester blend lining Color Red
Shoulder/ Halter Finished with Hemming Hand Stitch(3mm-5mm)
Button Type Shank Buttons Material Metal
Thread Polyester Cotton Blend Color Red

The Design Specification
SEASON DISCRIPTION SIZE DESIGNER PATTERN
Summer Salwar Kameez 30 Leena Saravata Salwar Kameez
FABRIC TYPE COMPOSITION COLOUR
Silk Polyester Blend 40% Silk 60%
Polyester
Red
Brocade Silk Red
BUTTON TYPE SIZE COLOUR
Shank Button Line 20 Red and Black
COMPOSITION CARE
40% Silk 60% Polyester Dry Clean Only
Fabric Used
Buttons Used
Label/ Important Information

Decorative Elements
In my collection I have decided to use some decorative elements for decorative and finished look.
Shank Button
Frog Button
Butterfly Knot Frog Button
Pippins For Finished
Look
Frog Button
Mandarin Metallic
Button

The Toil
Before creating the final design I developed the toil using muslin. The developed toil’s front, side and back view is displayed here.
Front View Back View Side View

Accessories
I would like to recommend these accessories for my designs to my client.

Office Wear
During my course of study I also learnt to design and develop official and formal wear for men and women. In office wear
designing we were taught to design many formal garments with different styles and silhouettes according to the client demands
and needs. But before designing it is really important to understand how a style developed and evolved, that is to understand the
history of that style and who introduced it and when. Hence to understand these facts I studied the history of women office
wear, in which I studied the collection and new styles introduced by Coco Chanel and Christian Dior. I studied how these
designers bring new changes in women wear style after the World Wars by removing the Edwardian periods old age corsets.

Archiving
Before designing the collection I studied and understand the history of traditional Indian salwar suits, and how they were worn
on earlier days.
For my collection I studied
the New Look by Christian
Dior for my studying of
archiving.
I studied various types of
skirt and how they were
worn during that period of
time and how it has evolved.

Case Study
We are suppose to design for a young girl aged between 30-32, she is having a pear shaped body and needs an outfit to be
designed for her with A-line silhouette.
Client Profile
My client is young office going girl of age 30, with Asian fair skin, dark brown hairs and eyes, with 165cm height. She lives in
Bangalore and work as Manger at Reserved Bank Of India. She wants the outfit with trendy look and comfortable.

The Collection
After studying and understanding my client’s need I have came up with these four designs for my collection.

Design Specification
Summer Office Wear 30 Leena Saravata Tunic
Batiste 11% Cotton 89%
Polyester
Beige
TROUSER TYPE SIZE COLOUR
Crop Pants 30 White
COMPOSITION CARE
11% Cotton 89% Polyester Hand Washable
Top
Trousers
Double Folded Boat neck
Darts At neck
Full Sleeves
Crop Pants
Hip Length Top
Hem Finished With Hemming

Slightly Curved hem Tennis Collar
Front Opening With Hidden Placket
Full Sleeves
Mid Calf Length Top
Crop Pants
Silk Polyester Blend 11%Cotton89%
Polyester
Beige
Crop Pants 30 White
COMPOSITION CARE
Tunic
Trousers

Round neck finished with pippins
Empire Length Yoke
Low Thigh Length Dress
Godets
Nude Stockings
Half Sleeves Finished With pippins
Polyester
Beige
COMPOSITION CARE
Tunic
TYPE SIZE COLOUR
Stockings Free Natural
Bottoms

Stand Collar with French Placket
Scarf at Neck
Full Sleeves
Low thigh / Knee Length Dress
Hem Finished with Hemming
Nude Stockings
Polyester
Beige
COMPOSITION CARE
Tunic
TYPE SIZE COLOUR
Bottoms

Fashion Flats
Lining used for body lining Polyester blend lining As Per The Color Of Dress
Shoulder/ Sleeve Finished with Hemming Hand Stitch(3mm-5mm)
Button Type Shank Buttons/ Four Hole Plastic
Thread Polyester Cotton Blend As Per The Color Of Dress
ELEMENTS/ DETAILS MATERIAL TYPE IMP INFORMATION

Case Study
We are suppose to design for a young lady aged between 30-32, she needs an outfit to be designed for her with Wedge Shaped
silhouette.
Client Profile
My client is young office going lady of age 30, with Asian fair skin, dark brown hairs and eyes, with 162cm height. She lives in
Pune and work in Samsung. She wants the outfit with trendy look and comfortable.

Summer Office Wear 30 Leena Saravata Top
Stand Collar
Hidden Placket
Full Sleeves
Hip Length Top
Hem Finished with Hemming
Crop Pants
Bengaline 11% Cotton 89%
Polyester
Beige
Crop Pants 30 Grey
COMPOSITION CARE
Top
Trousers

Peter Pan Collar With Slightly
sifted Center
Empire Length Yoke
Slightly Shifted Front Opening
Crop Pants
Polyester
Lavender
Crop Pants 30 Grey
COMPOSITION CARE
Top
Trousers

Polyester
Lavender
Chiffon Polyester White
BUTTON TYPE SIZE COLOUR
Four Hole Decorative Line 20 White
COMPOSITION CARE
11% Silk 89% Polyester Hand Washable
Fabrics Used
Buttons Used
Stand Collar With Box Placket
Scarf Bow Tie
Full Sleeves
Hem Finished With Hem
Crop Pants

SEASON DISCRIPTION SIZE DESIGNER Design
Boat Neck
Cap sleeves
Empire Length Yoke
Hip Length Top
Crop Top
Silk Polyester Blend 11% Cotton 89%
Polyester
Lavender
Crop Pants 30 Grey
COMPOSITION CARE
Top
Trousers

Fashion Flats
Lining used for body lining Polyester blend lining As Per The Color Of Dress
Shoulder/Sleeve Finished with Hemming Hand Stitch(3mm-5mm)
Button Type Shank Buttons/ Four Hole Material Plastic
Thread Polyester Cotton Blend As Per The Color Of Dress
ELEMENTS/ DETAILS MATERIAL TYPE IMP INFORMATION

Case Study
We are suppose to design for a young lady aged between 30-32, she needs an outfit to be designed for her with hour glass
silhouette.
Client Profile
My client is young office going lady of age 30, with Asian fair skin, dark brown hairs and eyes, with 165cm height. She lives in
Kolkata and work in Samsung. She wants the outfit with trendy look and comfortable.

The CollectionThe Collection
After studying and understanding my client’s need I have came up with these four designs for my collection.

SEASON DISCRIPTION SIZE DESIGNER DESIGN
Folded Beat Neck with slightly
shifted opening
Full Sleeves
Waist Belt
Knee Length Tunic
Stockings
Polyester
Grey
TYPE SIZE COLOUR
COMPOSITION CARE
Tunic
Bottoms

Flat Collar
Hidden Placket
Full Sleeves
Palazzo Pants
Polyester
Grey
Palazzo 30 Grey
COMPOSITION CARE
Top
Trousers

Summer Office Wear 30 Leena Saravata Top-Skirt
Flat Collar
Hidden Placket
Full Sleeves
Waist Belt
Straight Skirt
Nude Stockings
Polyester
Grey and
White
SKIRT SIZE COLOUR
Straight Skirt 30 Grey
COMPOSITION CARE
Top
Skirt

Summer Office Wear 30 Leena Saravata Top-Skirt
Waist Belt
Straight Skirt
Nude Stockings
Boat Neck
Kimono Sleeves
Polyester
Grey
SKIRT TYPE SIZE COLOUR
Straight Skirt 30 Grey
COMPOSITION CARE
Top
Skirt

Tuxedo Jacket
Full Sleeves
T-shirt with flat Collar
Crop Pants
Broadcloth 11% Cotton 89%
Polyester
Blue and
White
COMPOSITION CARE
Shirt
JACKET TYPE SIZE COLOUR
Tuxedo 30 Grey-Black
Jacket

Tuxedo Jacket
Knee Length Tunic
Nude Stockings
Round Neck Tunic
Full Sleeves
Broadcloth 11% Cotton 89%
Polyester
Blue
Tuxedo 30 Grey-Black
COMPOSITION CARE
Tunic
Jacket

Broadcloth 11% Silk 89%
Polyester
Blue
Trench Free Black
COMPOSITION CARE
Top
Jacket
Crop Pants
Stand Collar
Hidden Placket
Full Sleeves
Hip Length Top
Knee Length Trench Coat

Polyester
Blue
COMPOSITION CARE
Tunic
Knee Length Tunic
Stockings
Round Neck Tunic
Knee Length Trench Coat
Full Sleeves
Trench Free Black
Jacket

Accessories
For my client I would like to recommend these accessories with my collection.

Motif Development And Print Making
History and Function of Motifs
The establishment of trade routes to and from the Indian subcontinent brought many non-indigenous motifs to be
integrated with the traditional Indian motifs. The stylization and blending of various motifs have been influenced over the
centuries by different emperors who have ruled India. Lot of intermingling of Islamic, Buddhist, Persian and European art
is seen today in the Indian motifs.
A motif’s past meanings and history are usually discovered from sources that have nothing to do directly with textiles.
Natural surroundings, religion, achievements of an individual, are usually the driving force behind the human psyche that
leads to the development of particular motifs. Motifs made on textiles with printing, painting, dyeing, weaving and
embroidering may serve as protective function i.e. guarding the wearer against the evil eye and other misfortunes;
For example, hunters use animals and harmful insect motifs such as scorpion, to protect the wearer from the live creature.
Another function the motifs may relate to is fertility – the ability to produce off springs and thus survival. In agricultural
communities, fertility and wealth are closely linked, as the harvest is directly responsible for the communities well being.
For Example: Pomegranate (Annar) with its abundance of seeds is featured on marriage bed-covers in central Asia and is
also used in the Phulkari embroidery of Punjab.
Pineapple motifs are used in island nation of Philippines to devote fertility. Cowries shells, woven, embroidered or used
otherwise also denote fertility.

Central Asian Motifs and their Significance
The majorities of textiles are and always have been made by women. Natural forms such as flowers, stars, or an article
from everyday home – life may suggest the wish of a weaver or embroidered to put into the work some meaningful
element of her environment.
Over centuries, many central Asian motifs have been incorporated in the Indian art.
• Persian motifs of Paisley, tree of life and rounded containing birds or beasts is commonly used on various Indian
textiles.
• Buddhist motifs such as the endless thread of fortune and the lotus are the favorites among weavers and embroiders.
• Islamic patterns incorporates free-flowing floral arabesque and calligraphy into disciplined, mathematically inspired,
geometric self-generating designs – a language of order and unity. Symbolic shapes connected with Muslim beliefs
such as mihrab (arch), and the hand of Fatima have caved a niche in the Indian art.

While interpretation of motifs in textile decoration must always be speculative, since meanings change with the cultural
context, a variety of motifs have broadly similar symbolic connotations wherever they are applied.
Symbolism of common Central Asian motifs has been discussed, along with their appearance on Indian textiles.
• The Bird : A common motif is understood to mediate between this world and the world of spirits. The cock, usually
stylized as a head and comb, represents the beginning of the day and dispels the spirits of darkness. The cock and other
bird motifs are seen in the phulkari embroidery of Punjab. Double headed birds of prey e.g. eagle signify power and
mobility amongst the Turkish tribes. Parrot, Peacock and Geese motifs are commonly used on Indian textiles.

• The Sun : The ancient cult of worship of the sun and fire as life giving forces was widespread in the region and gave
rise to a variety of motifs such as solar discs and swastikas. Such motifs appear on phulkari and the ikat sarees of
Orissa, Gujarat and Kantha embroideries.

• The Pomegranate : In Central Asia, Pomegranate, cowrie shells and tulip flowers are used as a symbol of fertility.
Cowrie shells are commonly used in the Gujarat and Rajasthan embroideries and are also seen embroidered on
phulkaris. Pomegranate flowers are seen in phulkari embroideries. Tulips are not seen in Indian art.

• Tulip Flower : A flower of particular significance in Central Asia is a sign of coming of spring – the season known as
eulnek meaning the blossoming of the fields. The tulips bloom abundantly when the snow melts. Babur, the ousted
chieftain of Central Asia, who became the first Mughal emperor of India, was a lover of nature, who kept or
meticulous dairy of his observations. In this he identifies sixteen different varieties of tulip in the hills around Kabul.
As a decorative motif tulip is symbolic of abundance, spring and fertility, and is commonly embroidered on the
Turkmen women’s gown or chyrpy and on suzani i.e. the wall banging.

Traditional Indian Motifs and Their Significance
In traditional rural India almost every aspect of life has a special significance and this is translated into symbolic
expression in clothing and other forms of personal adornment. Some traditional motifs of India and their significance is
discussed in this chapter. The names of these motifs have also been mentioned in various languages where Hindi is H;
Tamil is Ta, Telgu is Te; Kannad is Ka, Marathi is M, Oriya is O and Gujarati is G.
The Temple Motif
The temple motif consists of rows of large triangles found along ethnic and tribal sari borders, as well as in the end pieces
of Dravidian and some central Deccan saris. They are usually woven into the ground fabric of the sari in the interlocked-
weft technique, so making the triangles point in the weft direction of the fabric, never the warp.
The temple motif has different tranditional names in different parts of India, none of which translate into ‘temple’. In the
north-east, West Bengal and Bangladesh it was commonly called daant (teeth). In West Bengal and eastern Deccan,
especially Orissa and northern Andhra Pradesh, it is called a kumbb (B), Kumbba (O) or kumbbam (Te), a reference to the
round clay storage pot and its contents (usually rice or water). Although the daant, like the kungri of Gujarat, may have
originally been added for protection against the evil eye, the kumbba is a fertility symbol. The round clay pot is explicitly
involved in this capacity in weddings, religious rituals involving female goddesses (especially Lakshmi and Durga), and on
domestic wall-paintings that welcome Lakshmi into the house or keep our evil influence.

In Dravidian India this border design usually refers to flower buds (nottu or mokku in Tamil), However, flowers
themselves are fertility symbols, a fact which reinforces the relation of this design with fecundity. In northern Karnataka
five pointed spikes are embroidered and woven into local saris in an effort to keep away the evil eye. Kanchipuram
weavers who speak the northern Tamil/Telugu dialect use the term karavai (saw) for serrated borders, which suggests a
protective association. Current evidence indicates that the temple motif is of pre-Islamic, possibly tribal, origin adopted by
caste Hindus.
A kumbha design on a Gond sari from
Koraput, Orissa

The Creeping Vine
Today, the creeping vine motif is primarily associated with expensive figured textiles that have Islamic connections.
Muslim religious rules against depicting animals encouraged such a motif in the textiles of Mughal and other Muslim elite.
Yet although it became an ‘establishment’ design on expensive fabrics from at least Mughal times, the creeping vine has a
longer and more psychologically subtle history.
It first appears in Shunga-period stone railings at the Stupa of the Saints at Sanchi as a stylized and somewhat angular
representation of a lotus rhizome. From then on it becomes an important Hindu architectural and sculptural device to be
known as ‘the vine of wish fulfilment’ (Sk, kalapalata, lata, or kalpavalli), which is said to denote the life force that is
shared by all living things – so linking the gods with men, animals and plants. It was believed to grant the wishes of all
those who revere it, which makes it a highly suspicious symbol. Linguistically, this close connection between the vine and
the life force is seen in the fact that the Indo-Aryan world lata means both ‘creeper’ (the plant) and ‘entanglement’ (the
action or resulting situation). The alternative name for this motif, bel, refers to both a floral vine in general and a fruit-
bearing tree (Aegle marmelos).

Flowers
Various types of floral forms abound in Indian saris. Flowers have played a major role in Hindu and early Buddhist
iconography, and many designs were then used by the Muslims. Although the Islamic depictions seem to have been purely
decorative, various Hindu representations were often symbolic of good luck, health and prosperity. It is in this aspect that,
even today, garlands of flowers are still so extensively used in South Asia, being given to honor guests and deities (during
puja and festivals), as well as to the bride and groom during the marriage ceremony.
As a group, flowers also represent the female principle. In some Indo-Aryan languages, the usual name for flower, phool,
additionally refers to aspects of female anatomy, so their common depiction in saris is probably no coincidence.
According to some students of Indian iconography, they are also explicitly used in rural domestic art as fertility symbols,
especially the chrysanthemum, lotus, jasmine and plantain. The jasmine flower (ta, malli, H, chameli, jai) has long been a
popular floral motif, known to have embellished textiles given to the seventh-century north-Indian king Harsha, as well as
being commonly found on traditional Tamil and north-Indian jewelry datable to the nineteenth century.
But flowers are not always linked with the feminine. The Tamil warrior-god Maruka is associated with a large number of
different flowers, most of which are red. Vishnu is also often depicted with a garland of five rows of flowers, each row
representing one of the five senses. In the domestic art of Dravidian India, the lemon flowers is used as protection from
the evil eye, as is the pointed petal pumpkin flower, which is a symbol of protection and good luck during harvest time
(mid-January).
Apart from the lotus, which is considered separately (see below), flowers are not as commonly depicted in the historical
and archaeological record as might be expected. Early Indus Valley pottery from Kot Diji and Kalibangan explicity
depicts large six-petalled floral forms, but few other representations are found until Shunga times, when six-petalled
flowers appear in the headdresses of women portrayed in terracotta plaques. Flowers are infrequently painted in the Ajanta
murals; there, most textile motifs are geometric. When they do appear in classical Indian art, such as on the north gate at
Sanchi (Andhra, late first century BC) or in Gupta-period sculpture, they appear to be purely decorative.

Various types of flowers are depicted in traditional saris. In many Deccan saris, narrow bands of repeat supplementary-
warp figuring are generically called phool, even if the design is not strictly floral. The patterns in these bands tend to
range from small circular geometric motifs (0.3 to one centimeter) called jai-phoola (jasmine flower) in Orissa, to large
(1.5 to 2.5 centimetre) four- to eight-petalled flowers often called rui phool (cotton flower). Although these
supplementary-warp bands appear never to have been depicted in India’s art, some of their geometric shapes are found in
seals as early as the Indus Valley period.
Related to the phool design is the rudraksha, a circular geometric motif consisting of V-shaped radiating lines from an
unmarked center. Typical of south-eastern Deccan and Orissa saris, this motif is believed to have Shaivite associations
because the wrinkled Rudraksha seed is made into rosaries for counting and repeating mantras by Shaivite devotees, in
particular the Shaiva Sidhanta school. The name rudraksha literally means ‘eye of Shiva’. Larger versions of this design
in Tamil Nadu saris are called pavun (Ta/Te, the sun).

The Lotus
One of the most complex and enduring symbols of both Buddhism and Hinduism has been the lotus. The lotus flower is
used in religious iconography as the seat upon which members of the Hindu and Buddhist pantheons rest, representing
their spiritual power and authority. It also symbolizes the material world in all of its many forms, with its multi-petalled
depiction in mandalas representing the multiplicity of the universe.
Gupta-period and later sculptures of Vishnu asleep upon the serpent Ananta drifting on the eternal sea of milk, where he
dreams the universe into existence, feature a lotus blossom issuing from Vishnu’s navel, upon which Brahma sits. This is a
symbol of the creation of the material universe, with Brahma as the creator and the universe represented by the lotus
flower. Leading on from such symbolism are concepts of fertility and fecundity. The concept is emphasized by both the
multi-petalled flowers and depictions of the lotus pod, which contains hundreds of seeds that scatter to the wind.
Consequently, the lotus symbolizes prosperity and material wealth, which is why it is so intimately associated with the
goddess Sri Lakshmi, who is often just called Padma or Kamala (both meaning ‘lotus’).
It is likely that the fecund aspect of the lotus, the spiritual, is emphasized when it is depicted on traditional saris, in
particular wedding saris. For instance, some of the ethnic printed saris in the western region feature stylized lotus pods;
the chhaabi bhat pottern in patola are, according to one source, depiction of an eight-petalled lotus flower with tendrils
spreading out to from a basket as well as the Orissan kbandua wedding saris. The lotus symbol appears to be of Indo-
Aryan origin, for although many water-related motifs are found in Indus Valley artifacts, the lotus is conspicuous by its
absence. Sri Lakshmi , with whom the lotus is so intimately connected, is believed to have early proto-Indo-European
beginnings ( that is, to come from the tribes from which the Indo-Aryans descend). A goddess (Sri) associated with regal
power and wealth was worshipped by these pre-Indo-Aryan (and, later, Indo-Aryan) tribes. This association with royalty
and wealth is later seen in many Gupta-period coins that feature Lakshmi with a lotus flower on one side and the reigning
monarch on the other.

Today most rural domestic art created throughout the subcontinent is expressly made in order to welcome Lakshmi into the
house. Whether it is a Tamil kolam, Orissan kumbha or Bengali alpona, the fundamental message is the same: let good
fortune enter; and both the kolam and alpona can be depicted as multi-petalled lotus blossoms.

Buta and Buti
Another group of floral motifs found in saris is the small buti and large buta, which are depicted as flowers, sprigs or
bushes. As with the phool, however, these names are also given to geometric and zoo-morphic motifs. They are always
created as floating design elements placed against a plain background. The smaller buti are usually woven in repeated
rows across the sari field while the buta are usually created in rows along the endpiece. Floral buti first appear in the
artistic record in the lungis worn by figures depicted in classical north- and east- Indian bronzes dating from the seventh to
the ninth centuries. The rows of geese (bansa) depicted on the textile worn by a fifth-century Ajanta figure could also be
classified as buti, but that design was probably printed, not woven. The appearance of the floral patterns depicted on the
bronzes, however, suggests that the buti of these early medieval textiles may have been woven in discontinuous
supplementary-weft, for such woven buti have remained a common element in eastern, north-eastern and south-eastern
Indian saris ever since. The depictions of free-floating textile design elements at Ajanta suggest block-printing and dyeing
techniques rather than weaving.
Although it is highly likely that buti and buta are indigenous north-Indian designs, the words used to describe them are of
Persian origin. In fact, the Persian/Turkish carpet motif similar to the Indian kalga is called a boteh or bota. Many large
kalga depicted in Indian saris have been called buta in northern India. The use of a Persian rather than Indian name for this
motif may reflect the fact that built were commonly created on expensive figured textiles worn by the old Muslim elites.
(Persian was the court language of the early Mughals, which developed into Urdu, a Perso-Arabic language.)

The Kalga or the mango
It evolved from seventeenth-century floral and tree-of- life designs that were created in expensive, tapestry-woven Mughal
textiles, primarily patkas (sashes) made for the Mughal court. The early designs depicted single plants with large flowers
and thin wavy stems, small leaves and roots. In the course of time the design became denser, with more flowers and
leaves, giving rise to tree-of-life and mixed floral patterns issuing from vases or a pair of leaves. By the late eighteenth
century the archetypal curved point at the top of an elliptical outline had evolved. The kalgas created on Kashmir shawls,
which became a fashion item in Europe for over a century, were certainly the most imaginative and intricate; and it was
from the imitations of these shawls woven in factories at Paisley, Scotland, that the name ‘paisley’ was derived, still
commonly used in Europe and the United States.
During the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the kalga became an important motif in a wide range of Indian textile,
Perhaps because it was associated with the Mughal court. A double-suded block-printed cotton dupatta created in 1795
contains large kalga at either end, while many nineteenth-century saris in museums carry this motif, especially saris from
the north. It rarely appears in nineteenth-century south-Indian textiles, and is only found on traditional tribal and low–
caste textiles in the western region, which suggests it has a longer history in the west than elsewhere, indicating a possible
western Indian, if not Persian, origin.
In addition, the name kalga appears to come from the Urdu. The word qalb literally means ‘hook’, and this word and its
variants describe a range of curvilinear objects with hook-like ends, such as a goad, fishhook, or a hood covering a hawk’s
head. Another , possibly ancillary meaning may also be related to a series of Urdu words relating to Turkish and Persian
carpets, such as qalika (small rug), which presumably carried buteh designs.

The motif probably caught the attention of poorer and non-Muslim Indians because of its similarity in shape to the mango
fruit, and even today the kalga is often called a mango (Haam) by many rural Indians. The mango was a potent fertility
symbol.

The Peepal leaf
Depictions of the heart-shaped leaves of the peepal tree (Ficus religiosa) are one of the earliest and most common motifs
found in Early and Mature Indus Valley pottery and seals, usually portrayed as if issuing from the heads of horned cows or
bulls. This association with cattle is probably significant because within historical times orthodox Hindus have venerated
the peepal tree as much as the cow. It is constantly grown near Hindu temples and villages for shade, and planting such a
tree is regarded as auspicious. Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under this tree (it is also known as the bo tree), which
suggests this event had symbolic associations with older beliefs of the time that incorporated this tree.
The Indus Valley period, few depictions of the peepal or its leaves have survived in Indian art. Most ancient and classical
Indian art does not contain this motif, and it is absent from the majority of the artwork of the second millennium AD. It
mainly appears in traditional textiles worn by high-caste Hindus, in particular Gujarati patola made for Nagar Brahmin and
Jain communities and in Dravidian unbleached cotton and zari muslins (kosara pudava). In the patola the design
traditionally called peepal patra bhat, although today it is increasingly called paan bhat, the paan bush also having heart-
shaped leaves. Paan leaves are used as part of the betelnut concoction that is passed around and chewed by participants in
wedding and other social events; and this name change indicates that the past, longstanding religious significance of the
peepal tree may be fading from popular memory.

Tree Of Life Motif
Throughout rural India the tree has been a symbol of fertility and protection for both tribals and caste Hindus. Both groups
traditionally have rituals that revere and protect trees, which were (and still are) a significant source of livelihood for the
community, although this is now being lost because of the severe shortage of wood in India caused by drastic
deforestation.
Trees in general, as opposed to specific species like the peepal, are depicted in some Mature Indus Valley seals, although
they are not so commonly found in pottery artwork. The concept of the tree of life, which is used as a symbol for the
interconnectedness of all life, appears to have been in existence by the Gupta period. Cave 17 at Ajanta uses a tree and its
branches to link different scenes from the Buddhist Mabakapi Jataka painted on the walls, with the branches
interconnecting smaller, collateral scenes.
The tree of life is a metaphysical extrapolation of the basic concepts of fertility and protection. Specific trees supplied pre-
industrial India with food, medicines, timber, utensils and even cloth. Many of the rural rituals (and concepts) still being
practiced reflect this heritage.
Sanskrit literature talks about the mythical Forest of Bliss (Anandavana) from which Varanasi developed, while the
depiction of yaksbis and yaksbas (female and male tree spirits) was common in much sculpture from Shunga times
onward. Even today, many orissan tribal groups still protect specific areas of forest for important religious and social ritual
occasions, and the trees in these areas are not allowed to be destroyed.

Different tribal groups living in the same geographical area often revere different species of trees. For instance, in Koraput
(Orissa) the Hill Sora regard the sahanda (Tropis aspera) as most sacred, as its products saved the tribe from starvation
after the Deluge, while the Gonds regard the bel (Aegele marmalos) and other plants as sacred elements that helped create
the original tribe. Species-specific focus in local religious life is also found in caste Hindu society. For instance, temples
in Tamil Nadu are often associated with specific trees: the punnai tree (Calopbyllum inopbyllum) is the sacred tree at the
main temple of Mylapore; the kadamba (Adina cordifolia) at Madurai; the mango (Manifera indica) at Kanchipuram; and
the bamboo (Bambusa spp., Dendrocalamus spp.) at Tirunelvelli. The tree of life motif appears in kashmiri carpets and
kalampari paintings.

The Sun-Tree Motif
The Assamese sun-tree motif is now such an archetypal pattern of the north-eastern region that many Assamese textiles are
recognized as such just on the basis of this design. It depicts two birds, animals or flowers, facing each other on either side
of a tree whose branches spread above them. The motif is rigidly symmetrical, highly stylized and angular, with a pointed
roof-like top to the tree, and its sides are often straight.
China and northern South-East Asia create sun-tree-like motifs in their traditional textiles. Among the Thailand Thi, the
motif is known as a bong or swan design, after the birds portrayed at either side of the tree.
All of the Austro-Tai-speaking peoples are known to have migrated from central China (the Tarim basin) about two
thousands years ago. It may be significant that several Han dynasty (c, 200 BC-AD 200) silks also neither contain
versions of this design, although it is not depicted in later Chinese textiles. The Chinese sun-tree is an important feature of
several early Chinese cosmological myths, and it is depicted in much Han-dynasty art in addition to textiles.

The Peacock
The peacock has had several associations that at first glance appear to be unrelated: immortality, love, courtship, fertility,
regal pomp, war and protection. Its traditional significance is probably lost, but nevertheless its depiction and symbolism
has a long and complex history.
Peacocks were painted on Mature and Post-Indus Valley burial pottery dated about 2000-1500 BC. That some of these
birds have horns and vegetation issuing from their bodies suggests that they might signify fertility or rebirth, while others
carrying tiny human beings inside their stomachs suggest that they are the bearers of the spirits of the dead to the other
world. (In fact, the peacock’s association with death and rebirth appears throughout Sanskrit literature). Peacocks
reappeared in Buddhist architecture and by the first century AD were incorporated into the developing Brahmanic Hindu
pantheon. Shiva’s son, Kartikeya (Kumara), was the god of war and lord of immortality and was depicted riding a peacock
mount, suggesting that its associations of death and rebirth were still viable at that date.
By the late first millennium AD, Karttikeya and his peacock were associated with the worship of Maha Devi, the Great
Goddess, and the group of violent goddesses known as the Matrikas. Like Shiva, these goddesses were part of the pre-
Aryan religion which became incorporated into Hinduism, and their attributes became concerned with life, death, rebirth
and fertility.

The Parrot
Representations of the parrot do not have the historical and iconographic depth of those of the goose. It has not depicted in
ancient, classical or even medieval India architecture, or does it appears in the illustrations found in Jain manuscripts. This
dearth of historical representation suggests that it is a relatively recent addition to the traditional Indian textile repertoire,
although it appears to be common in north-Indian folk songs and art – for instance, the eastern-region Madhubani wall-
paintings that William Archer ‘discovered’ in the Maithili-speaking areas of north Bihar, which he photographed in 1939-
40, feature parrots in nuptial-chamber wall-paintings. This location has a direct link with the parrot’s symbolic function as
a messenger for lovers and its associations with courtship, love and passion. These functions are often mentioned in west-
and north-Indian folk art and literature. They are also seen in some later east-Indian temple sculptures, such as a five-
towered Bengali temple with terracotta reliefs built in 1643. There, parrots are depicted with Krishna and Radha,
Hinduism’s most famous pair of lovers.
Despite its iconographic spread across north India, depictions of the parrot in Indian textiles are almost exclusively western
(mostly Gujarati). Over the part two hundred years it has been depicted in elaborate colored-silk embroideries created for
Rajput courts, for nomadic ethnic groups such as the Rabari, and in the more expensive types of Gujarati wedding sari both
the patolu and the gharcbolu often depict parrots, as occasionally do other bandhani fabrics.

The Fish
The fish appears early in the archaeological record, and is painted onto Early Indus Valley pottery at Kalibagan as well as
carved into Mohenjo-daro seals and pleaques of the Mature Indus Valley civilization. It is also one of India’s earliest
numismatic motifs, and is found on punch-marked coins (karbapana) from both western and eastern India dating from at
least 550-350 BC. Yet is was rarely depicted in the sculptures and architecture of later historical periods and was never a
vehicle for any deity. Nevertheless, its relationship with India folk and tribal art remains strong, and it is often depicted in
textiles where fish form a major part of the diet, as in Orissa, or where Vaishnavism is important.
The fish appears early in the archaeological record, and is painted onto Early Indus Valley pottery at Kalibagan as well as
carved into Mohenjo-daro seals and pleaques of the Mature Indus Valley civilization. It is also one of India’s earliest
numismatic motifs, and is found on punch-marked coins (karbapana) from both western and eastern India dating from at
least 550-350 BC. Yet is was rarely depicted in the sculptures and architecture of later historical periods and was never a
vehicle for any deity. Nevertheless, its relationship with India folk and tribal art remains strong, and it is often depicted in
textiles where fish form a major part of the diet, as in Orissa, or where Vaishnavism is important.

The Elephant
The symbol of the elephant has appeared throughout Indian history since Mature Indus Valley times when it was depicted
on seals and as terracotta figurines excavated from Mohenjo-daro. Since then it has appeared on early Indian coins and on
Buddhist and Hindu architecture through to the present day. During the classical and medieval periods its head was part of
a mythical beast called a Makara, which had a fish’s body and elephant’s trunk and was commonly found in depictions of
river goddesses, especially Ganga.
Today terracotta elephants are created in rural India as gifts to local-community deities in return for such things as a
blessing, the recovery of an ill child, a good harvest, or for a happy union when the bride and groom are going through the
marriage ceremony.
The elephant is considered an auspicious animal, traditionally associated with water and fertility, and with royalty and
regal power. In addition to their temporal power, the kings of ancient India were linked with the natural fecundity of the
earth, and they had to perform various spring rituals in order to ensure the success of the following year’s crops. An aspect
of these rituals associated elephants with rain and fertility, and even today they are often depicted with Lakshmi, shown
standing between two elephants who are showering her with water. In addition, the sheer physical power of elephants has
traditionally been harnessed during war, natural disasters and for major construction projects, all of which, again, have
regal (central government) associations.
The elephant is also one of the few animals that is actually a god within the Hindu pantheon, namely the elephant-headed
Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and maker of good beginnings. Another of Ganesha’s attributes is perspicacity, learning
and memory, straits traditionally valued by traders and merchants. He is also regarded as a protector, which is why his
form is often found over or by doorways.

Elephants have been depicted on the more expensive traditional saris of Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Banaras, such as the
Tamil mubbhagam, Gujarati gbarchola and patola, and Banaras kincabs as well as elephant-headed beasts (gajasinha)
being depicted in the clothes of women painted in late medieval Gujarati Jain manuscripts.

The Tortoise
The tortoise (Koorma) is the second incarnation of Vishnu, who was both the Cosmic Tortoise upon which the universe
rests, and the foundation of the churning stick with which Vishnu stirred the Cosmic Ocean that created the universe.
Koorma’s association with the birth of the universe and Vishnu lead to Lakshmi, who issued out of the churning waters and
became Vishnu’s consort. Consequently, the tortoise has associations with prosperity and the creation of wealth. Tortoises
are known to have been part of the late, Upper Palaeolithic diet, and they were depicted on Early Indus Valley pottery from
Kalibagan, which suggests they were already a noticeable part of local life. During the Gupta period, when Vaishnavism
began to take recognizable shape, tortoise amulets were made in the north-west. Today, tortoises are traditionally woven in
the supplementary-warp bands of east Deccan saris.

The Conch
The conch shell is both a symbol of Vishnu and of Nada Brahma, god in the form of sound. It is one of the eight
auspicious symbols, representing temporal power, and as such was used in ancient India as a war bugle. One of its first
known depictions is in the Vaishnavite caves at Udayagiri near Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), and has been found in
Vaishnavite art from then on. In terms of textiles, the conch only appears to have been depicted on twentieth-century saris,
primarily on ikat-patterned Orissan ethnic saris made in the last fifty years.

The Hunting Scene
The hunting scene usually features men, horses, elephants, tigers, rabbits, deer, peacocks, parrots, and other animals,
cavorting between entangling branches and leaves. This might seem an unusual design for a sari or any other textile made
for personal use, but it was found in eighteenth and nineteenth-century Banaras brocades and Gujarati bandhani, late
sixteenth and early seventeenth-century Bengali embroidered quilts made for the Portuguese marker, and in some fifteenth-
century resist prints excavated at al-Fustat.
The origins of the hunting-scene design are obscure. It is easy to assume that these textiles were inspired by the
elaborately figured seventeenth-century Safavid lampas textiles whose designs are conceptually similar because they also
depict hunts and war, but the style of representation is completely different. The hunting scene prints excavated at al-
Fustat suggest that the roots of this design are much older. For instance, a print dated to the early fifteenth century depicts
a horsewoman, dog and mythological beast (gajasinba or elephant-lion) in conflict with a boar and are believed to
represent a Gujarati myth concerning the mother-goddess Khodiar, a warrior-goddess similar in type to Durga.

PRINT DEVELOPMENT
What is a print?
Print is a motif, design or a pattern created on the surface of the fabric through the application of dyes.
The art of printing colors on to the fabric originated thousands of years ago. Remnants of printed fabrics have been found
near Thebes, Egypt that have been dated about 1600 B.C.
There are various ways in which the design or a motif appears and re-appears in a print. This is called a repeat of the motif
or design.
Kinds of repeats:
• Straight repeat – The design repeats exactly in the same way.
• Horizontal mirror repeat – The design makes a mirror repeat in
the horizontal direction.
• Vertical mirror repeat – The design makes a mirror repeat in the vertical direction.

• Rotational mirror repeat – The design makes a mirror repeat both horizontally and vertically making
a full circle - 360º.
• Vertical half drop repeat – Half drop repeat is also called a brick repeat. Here the design is arranged
like bricks in a vertical direction.
• Horizontal half drop repeat – Here the design is arranged like bricks in a horizontal fashion.

Motif Development
Before developing a Pattern or a print we first need to develop the basic motif. I used Corel Draw to develop the basic
Paisley Motif in different shape and size.
Base Work
Frame Work

Pattern Development
After creating the basic motif, I repeat and rotate the motif in different directions and orientation to create a pattern. To
create the desired motif I repeat the motif in three shapes triangle, circle and square.
Motif Repeated In Square Motif Repeated In Circle Motif Repeated In Triangle

Print Development
I have selected the motif repeated in square and to develop print I have repeated this pattern with different orientation, The
regular repetition and the vertical mirror repeat.
Regular Repetition Of Developed
Pattern
Vertical mirror repeat Of Developed
Pattern

Print Development
To develop the desired motif I have also repeated the same motif with rotational mirror repeat and vertical half drop.
Rotational Mirror Repetition
Of Developed Pattern
Vertical half drop repeat Of
Developed Pattern

Print Development
An another method of developing print by repeating the pattern in by the horizontal half drop repeat.
Horizontal Half Drop Repeat Of Developed Pattern

Print Development
After developing and repeating these patterns I color them and created the print by using different color combination .
Regular Repetition Of Developed
Pattern
Vertical mirror
repeat Of
Developed
Pattern
Vertical half drop repeat Of
Developed Pattern
Horizontal Half Drop Repeat Of Developed Pattern

Hand Woven Motifs Of India
Dacca Muslins
Dacca (now the capital of Eastern Pakistan) was, for centuries, synonymous with the finest muslins the world has ever
produced by hand or machine. Dacca weavers’ magic hands produced such exquisitely fine and delicate fabrics that the
poetic name “Ab-i-rawan” (Flowing Water), “Baft-Hawa”(Woven air), and “Shabnam” (Evening Dew) were justifiably
given to them. Exhibits in some of our museums prove even today that a yard’s width of the muslin could easily pass
through a lady’s ring. One of then relates that a five yard piece of muslin could be packed in a match box.
The value of Dacca muslin is estimated by the number of warp thread in a given length of the material as compared with
its weight. The greater the length and the number of thread , with comparatively less weight , the higher would be the
price. Up to the beginning of the 19th century, the Dacca muslin saris, one of the most artistic and beautiful specimens of
handloom textiles, were counted amongst their valuable and cherished possessions by the women of Bengal. The saris are
generally grey, white or black with blue or black designs. Occasionally, the pattern are woven in bright colored cotton, or
silver or gold thread. The Dacca muslin with the woven-in-pattern are known as “Jamdani” patterns. “Anchal” or “ Pallos”
(end portions) and the borders are richly decorated. The rest of the sari is generally covered with numerous small bootties.
The common motif is the round design bootties, which suggests “chameli” (Jasmine) flower and around these are woven
the leaves that recall those of the sweet smelling campak. When the sprays of the flowers are spread all over the sari, it is
called a “Boottedar” Sari, and when the spray are grouped in diagonal lines, the sari is known as “Terchha”. But when the
floral design forms a net work which covers the entire field, then the pattern is known as” Jatar”. Sometimes is Jamdani
design , the flowers are clustered together.
The border and palloo or Anchal (end portions) of saris are generally decorated with distinctive figure designs. The figures
chosen represent birds, animals, and human being. Peacock or “mayura” and “hansa” seen to be popular as bird-figures in
the designs of Dacca saris. Also some of the motifs indicate the influence of mythological legends, as well as of the local
traditions. The design are commonly accepted as of Persian origin traditions but many of the designs depict incidents from
the Hindu mythology.

The border and palloo or Anchal (end portions) of saris are generally decorated with distinctive figure designs. The figures
chosen represent birds, animals, and human being. Peacock or “mayura” and “hansa” seen to be popular as bird-figures in
the designs of Dacca saris. Also some of the motifs indicate the influence of mythological legends, as well as of the local
traditions. The design are commonly accepted as of Persian origin traditions but many of the designs depict incidents from
the Hindu mythology.

Baluchar Buttedar
Baluchar, a small town near Murshidabad in West Bengal has a noted and a highly values name in the handloom textile
history of India. The artisans of the locality produced very artistic figured silk saris known as Baluchar Butedar. In these
saris the pallos were most ornamented portions. The field of the remaining portions of the sari was decorated with small
butis of some floral design or figure design of birds. The special feature of Butedar is that the designs used for the
ornamentation shows a strong influence of Mughal art. The weavers of Baluchar “Toranj” (also called Kalka or guldasta)
which is the most popular motif in the weaving, embroidery and printing throughout in India, under its present applications
“the mango design” in the design of pallo, the famous ever popular “ Toranj” as seen as through these are set in a frame.
The border of a frame is representation of a lady smelling a flower and seated in a sort of niche. The inter space are filled
with neatly arranged rows Toranj lined with an outer border of flowering plant. The border design which is a simple and
straight combination of Toranj and flowering plant is continued for the border of the whole sari.
The wonderful art of weaving fabric in Baluchar is lost forever and a few extinct scattered specimens in some museums
are the mementoes of the perfection it had achieved.
In Baluchar Butedar saris consisting of the buti design are woven with a silk weft in old gold, white, red, crème, orange,
yellow the ground color usually being in a flaming red deep, purple or short with dark red and blues. The ground color may
however occasionally be done blue but this was not very common in the past. The design of the field is generally made up
in the traditional saris of butis, formal sprays both large and small set out on the sari ground like a mosaic each colorful
spring like a enameled. Jewel glittering to look at, the color harmonies an invariable soft and subtle and repose full, with
only a muted whisper of frivolity, gaiety, glamour, romance.

The Anchal of the end piece of the Baluchar Butidar sari is traditional highly decorated the design consist of Kalkas,
flowering plants, the tree of life, animals, woven conversing or in customary, poses, ladies with flower, men smoking the
hooka or show riding all elaborately detailed, but with the animals and the male and female figures are even the plant life,
highly formal and stylized.
The Baluchar saris produced in British times show the introduction of European motifs. The traditional Baluchar Saree is
mostly five yards in length and about forty-two inches in width. The end pieces are design running the whole width of the
sari and are above twenty four to thirty two inches in height. It is therefore not too much to imagine how a sari is five yards
long and forty-two inches in wide could take as long as six months to produce.

Chanderi
The muslin woven in Chanderi, a place near Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, have earned a name foe themselves because of
their fine quality. Chanderi saris are mostly cotton with borders and pallos woven in silk and gold thread sometimes mixed
threads of silk and cotton are used in weaving. The fabrics are known as “Gabha Reshmi”. The pallos of these are very
artistically ornamented with gold threads while the ground of the sari is checked with butis in the center of each check
square. The border are woven with double threads which produce an effect of two colors one on each side. The saris are
woven in nine yard length and are very much valued by Maharashtrian ladies.

Maheshwari Sarees
Tassar Silk weaving is the traditional craft of Madhya Pradesh. It is practiced in Khargone, Guna and Bilaspur & Raighar
District. Besides Kosa Silk fabrics, Maheshwari & Chanderi Saris are specialty of the state.
Maheshwari, the Tehsil head quarter of Khargone dist, situated on the banks of Narmada River is a famous historical place.
It is known for its traditional handloom weaving. The credit of the organizing handloom weaving goes to the royal family
of Holkars. Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar, the ruler of the state brought the weavers from Surat (Gujarat) and Mandawgarh
(Dhar dist. of present M.P) and provided them all the facilities needed for the development of the weaving industry. The
weavers’ class included the Maarus, Salvis, Momins, Julahas, Khangars and Kolis.
Silk weaving was introduced in early 1940s to Maheshwari, which was then known for its cotton saris, Gamha Rashmi
sarees became famous with a variation of silk checks on a cotton ground, both in warp and weft. This type of sari are
famous even in the 19th Century. The Maheshwari Saris are famous all over the country, especially in the states of
Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
The carvings on the Ghats of Narmada influence the border and pallu designs of Maheshwari saris. Ahilya Bai was taking
so much interest in the Maheshwari weaving that she used to develop designs for the saris. The specialty of Maheshwari
sari is its typical attractive border which looks alike from both the sides. The check pattern became so famous that many
other weaving centres of Maharashtra and Coimbatore adopted it in their weaving. There are different checks, which are
known as Gunji, Pakhi, Popli, Dowra, and Chandtara etc. the material used for weaving in 80’s count cotton yarn and
20/22 denier twisted silk yarn. Typically Maheshwari elements were the Anki-mutha and at times, the fine tie-dye stripes
used as an accenting line also known as Kotari and referred to as Chutki in Maharashtra. The change over from cotton to
silk warp has made it more difficult to retain the checks as the wastage was too high in case of silk besides the inherits
problems of dyeing small qualities of silk yarn.

At present, about 1000 handlooms in both the co-operative and private sectors are engaged in weaving Maheshwari saris.
On an average, 400 saris are produced a day. The cost of a sari varies from Rs 500 to Rs 2000 depending on its quality,
type of yarn used, nature and extent of zari work.

Patola
It was among the choicest exports from the greatest textile center in Surat along the Caravan routes to the markets of
Samarkhand, Bohkhara, Basra, Damascus and Rome in the 15th and 16th centuries. The making of the patola is a difficult
and complicated process. Its unique quality is that the threads of the warp and the weft are separately dyed in portions in
such a way that the pattern on the finished product emerge in weaving. Patola manufacturers is restricted nowadays but a
few rare, choice pieces are still available. A type of Patola technique is employed in other part of India to produce saris,
bedspreads, curtains and a variety of other fabrics.
Patola Or Ikkat Fabrics
The Ahmedabad Patola is a textile of a unique character. Mhesana district, in Ahmedabad is noted for the beautiful
material. The methods of the weaving is the Ikkats of Orissa, the Pochampalli textiles and the patola are some what
similar, but patola weavers has retained the geometric designs. Whatever pattern or floral motifs he may choose for his
material he prefers to set them in geometric order. The order in the development of artistic work has always shown that
geometric pattern coming in earlier stage, while stylized and floral motifs follow later. We may thus conclude that the yarn
in the warp is first dyed or block printed, according to the requirement of the motif, The design is achieved in the fabric
almost with miraculous effect with a simple operation of the wool.
One of the loveliest contributions of the Indian dyer’s skill to the world of the textiles is the patola, a kind of double Ikkats
where in the warp and weft threads are first tie-dyed and subsequently woven together, the dyed areas of the fibers coming
together wonderfully to form the desired design.
The Patola technique is seen at its best in the silk wedding saris of Gujarat & Kathaiwar.
The warp & the weft threads are separately dyed by the bandhani process. The silk warp is first dyed in the lightest colour
& the dyer, keeping in mind the design to be produced.

The Patola technique is seen at its best in the silk wedding saris of Gujarat & Kathaiwar.
The warp & the weft threads are separately dyed by the bandhani process. The silk warp is first dyed in the lightest colour
& the dyer, keeping in mind the design to be produced.

Bandhani
Bandhanis or choonaris are colorful saris and odhnis dyed by tie and dye process. These are popular amongst the women
of Gujarat, Kathiawar, Rajasthan and Sindh. Premalatha Jayakar I her article on tie Dyed Fabrics Of India, in Marg refers
to Bandhanis in the following words:-
“It is an auspicious garment. A symbol of youth and romance, love play and the “Sohag” (wifehood) of Hidu women. It is
a garment of laughter.
Indian women are known for their love for bright colours. Also the tradition and the customs of wearing special colours on
different festivals, makes it necessary for them to become familiar with the art of dyeing at home. Thus besides the expert
professional dyers almost every Indian girl learns by practice a good deal of the art of dyeing and Bandhani work.
Bandhanis differ from Patola as regards the stage at which they are dyed. Like Patolas they are dyed by the tie & dye
process, which, however, is done after the fabric is woven. The fabric is folded over several times until reduced to a small
thick square or a rectangular piece. The piece is then damped and pressed on a block on which a design is carved. The
impressed portions are picked up by the finger nails (the nails are allowed to grow especially for the purpose and are used
as a sort of pincers) & are then tied up with cotton thread in a thickness sufficient to resist the dye.
It needs training and great skill to pick up all the layers at once and make it crinkle in a particular given manner. The
bandhanari or the woman who does the tying up work works swiftly and ties up all the impressed portions without cutting
the thread but carries it over from one point to the next. The dyeing process is carried out in the same order as in Patolas,
starting with the light colours & finishing with the dark ones.
But each time, before a new shade colour is applied the tying up process has got to be repeated.

Usually, the designs used are copies of a few traditional ones & by the practice of tying up the same design over & over
again the bandhanaris become expert to such an extent that they are able to dispense with the process of impressing the
fabric with the design.
The motifs of the traditional designs used for Bandhanis represents animals, birds, flowers and dancing dolls. When
elaborate designs are used the Bandhanis are known as “Gharchola”. In some of the expensive “Gharchola” gold threads
are woven in to form checks or squares, and then the designs are formed in each of the squares by the tie and dyed process.
The “Choonaris” are very light fabrics, and the designs for these
consist of dots or pin heads irregularly spread all over the field of the cloth. Sometimes the dots are grouped together to
form a design, and the design is known as “Ek bundi” (one dot), “Char bundi” (four dots) and “Sat bundi” (seven dots).

Paithani And Pitambari
Paithanis are the beautiful and rich saris made at pattan or paithan in the state of Hyderabad (Deccan). These are
exquisitely fine silk fabrics with gauze like texture ornamented with gold patterns woven in the texture of the cloth. The
borders and palloos which are woven separately as gold brocades are sewn on to the sari. The colour of the sari is usually
dark orange, red, or yellow, with gold lines arranged in a check or in stripes. The inter–spaces are usually filled in with a
figure depicting a goose with an olive branch in its beak.
The borders and palloos are having very striking designs in bright and showy colours such as moss green, yellow, and
bright pink. The common motif of the design is the peacock supporting a big vase with sprays of brilliantly coloured
flowers so arranged to forma Persian cone pattern. The vases with flowers are placed in between two pillars joined with the
toran (arch). The design is worked in silks of blue, red, and white colours on a field of pure translucent gold. The whole
effect is gorgeous and eminently artistic in its perfect harmony.
The borders and palloos are having very striking designs in bright and showy colours such as moss green, yellow, and
bright pink. The common motif of the design is the peacock supporting a big vase with sprays of brilliantly coloured
flowers so arranged to forma Persian cone pattern. The vases with flowers are placed in between two pillars joined with the
toran (arch). The design is worked in silks of blue, red, and white colours on a field of pure translucent gold. The whole
effect is gorgeous and eminently artistic in its perfect harmony.
The craft is more allied to weaving than to embroidery. It is woven on both sides on a loom, unlike the ordinary form of
needs work that is done to e seen on one side of the fabric only gold & silk yarn stretched on the loom from the foundation
and 4 -24 shuttles are employed to produce the embroidered design. The latter drawn on paper, is placed under the length
wise threads and the shuttles passed through these as demanded by the pattern and the colour. This is slow and laborious
work and may take as many as 8 days to produce a square foot of the loom embroidered fabric.

In olden days paithanis were usually woven to order for the royal family and the weaver took months to complete a single
piece. Now days these are not woven. Pitambars are bright coloured silks five yards in length with gold borders on them.
These are worn by men specially when performing any of the religious rituals

The Peshwa Favorites
History notes that the Paithani fabric found favour in the court of the 18 century the Peshwa rulers. Madhavrao Peshwa
was enchanted by dupattas in red, green, saffron, pomegranate and pink, proffering those with the asavali pattern of vines
with blooms. The Nizam of Hyderabad is said to have visited Paithani looms, while his daughter-in- law Niloufer even
introduced new designs to its border and pallav.
In traditional Paithanis, the three-ply fine sari had a 20/22 warp, with real gold zari used for its butis, border and pallav.
Originally, natural dyes from amla, henna, pomegranate, indigo and turmeric were used to dye the silk.
The Paithani sari’s dhoop-chaon (light & shade) effect is achieved by intertwining two silk threads of different colours
together through a basic dobby weave, while multiple spindles or tillies achieve its intricacies without a jala or jacquard
mechanical contrivance.
On adjacent looms, other butis spin into view-Tara (star), Mor (peacock), Rui phool (flower), Paisa (coin), Pankha (fan),
Kalas Pakli (petal) or even Chandrakor (moon). On the floor, youthful Mirabai Sherke fills her spindles with zari thread. At
another loom, Amitha & Sheela work at an intricate golden pallav of Bangdi Mor or a bangle- like peacock pattern.

The Brocades Of Banaras
As long as human brain will continue its superiority over computers, aesthetic sense will compel him to admire the out of
world beauty woven in silk (the queen of textiles) by the weavers of Varanasi.
Name “Banarasi” has been derived from Banaras- a district in U.P. Generally, the product gets its name and fame from the
name of its origin.
Varanasi (Banaras), pre-historic holy city known as place of sacred shrines, learning and culture having thousands of
ancient temples and shrams , magnificent Ghats, multitude of devotees is said to have been built by Gods on the bank of
holy river anges.Varanasi is also known as “Lyon of India” because of the Banarasi silk which still continues to win the
imagination of princes and peasants alike due to its dazzling splendour and creative instinct of workmanship.

During Mughal era, Persian artists brought revolutionary development not only in design but also in shades of Banaras
saris. Gold thread from France, silk yarn from China and dye stuffs from Germany were introduced to produce more
delicate marvellous in rich innovations of the age. The infusion of east and west gave new dimensions to the textiles
industry of Varanasi. During British rule, East India Company introduced these fabrics in European.

Leena Saravata

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