Buying a handloom textile that makes use of a 3,000-year-old craft is akin to buying a murals. Much like a portray or sculpture that holds worth for its authenticity, a hand-crafted material is value each rupee spent, says Nikita Shah, a Brooklyn-based impartial researcher affiliated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Nikita, who honed her expertise in kalamkari whereas in Hyderabad, believes aware consumption is key to conserving the craft alive.
She believes mass manufacturing has prompted many artisans to take shortcuts. “Kalamkari is a slow craft. Less is more — that should be the approach if we want it to survive,” she says.
Kalamkari, which takes its title from the kalam or pen utilized by artisans to attract motifs, includes a painstaking, multi-step course of. The material — usually cotton or silk — is handled with milk and pure astringents earlier than being hand-drawn and colored with pure dyes. Srikalahasti in Andhra Pradesh is identified for hand-painted kalamkari, whereas Machilipatnam is recognised for block-printed variations. Originally a medium for narrating folks tales, kalamkari later developed into wearable artwork.
Speed over method
During a latest go to to Srikalahasti, Nikita noticed that conventional pens had been more and more being changed by thick brushes, fingers and even sponges — typically used with chemical dyes. “It’s disheartening to see artisans prioritising speed over technique. Younger artisans, despite being trained by older generations, are under pressure to meet market demands and are compromising on the process,” she says.
In Machilipatnam, digital and display screen printing are steadily changing hand block printing, making it more durable for shoppers to inform the distinction.
Mumbai-born Nikita is an alumna of National Institute of Fashion Technology Kannur and labored for almost a decade with Hyderabad-based designers Gaurang Shah and Mamata Reddy (Kalam Creations) earlier than pursuing an affiliate diploma at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York. In 2021, she launched her personal label, Untitle by Nikita, in the US, creating separates like trench coats and clothes utilizing conventional craft strategies. The title displays her determination to interrupt away from the seasonal cycle of trend collections. “Fast fashion is not compatible with slow, traditional methods. Back when I worked with Gaurang for Lakmé Fashion Week, we would begin collections nearly two years in advance. You cannot rush kalamkari — it is not even feasible in the monsoon,” she says.
Reviving a heritage craft
When she realised many NRIs hesitated to pay for cotton or respect the labour behind the craft, she started providing kalamkari workshops to bridge the hole. “Once people try it themselves, holding a kalam and attempting to paint on fabric, they understand why a sari or dress can take months to finish.”
From Untitle by Nikita assortment.
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Special Arrangement
Nikita is at the moment researching kalamkari story cloths, which had been historically used to relate folks tales. She is particularly involved about the growing commercialisation and inauthentic practices. “Screen printers often mimic hand block prints with slight imperfections so they can pass them off as handmade,” she explains.
Tips for recognizing actual kalamkari, based on Nikita:
Fabric: Authentic kalamkari is completed on cotton or silk, not artificial blends. Touch and really feel the textile; blends usually tend to carry display screen or digital prints.
Colours: Genuine kalamkari makes use of pure dyes, ensuing in muted, earthy tones. “Check your spice rack,” she says. “That is where many dyes come from.” Neon shades or vivid pinks normally point out chemical processing.
Inconsistencies: Minor variations in motifs are an indication of handwork. No two hand-painted figures are precisely alike.
Scent: The material is typically handled with cow or buffalo milk, giving it a definite, faint scent that fades with a couple of washes.
Flip take a look at: Digital prints are simple to identify — the again will typically be white or barely printed.
Nikita advocates for selecting one genuine piece over ten mass-produced ones. For those that dislike repeating outfits, she has a sensible tip: “Take a cue from our grandmothers — they exchanged saris among friends and family.”
For those that search genuine kalamkari, she suggests exhibitions hosted by the State boards of Craft Council of India, Hyderabad-based label Malkha that specialises in pure dyes and hand block prints, and Mamata Reddy’s vary of kalamkari creations.
Published – May 28, 2025 03:09 pm IST
