Abraham and thakore biography sample
However, later that also became our identity. We are strongly connected to our Indian roots. We, along with our weavers and karigars, have always taken on the challenge to reinvent the wheel both in our designs and our fabrics. The double ikat silk houndstooth sari and shirt from our AW collection. Muga, Tussar and Eri are fabrics woven from wild silk, which was used to create the line.
Our fabrics are printed with a variety of techniques like hand-screen block printing, and aari embroidery, to name a few. Double ikat, block printing, and hand-spun and hand-woven techniques such as jamdani from Bengal, and brocades from Varanasi are combined with prints and embroidery along with tussar silk, lending to muted and rich textures.
Some of our modern twists on traditional saris have also been accepted and appreciated. Like our sari styled with a belt, ankle-length saris with shoes inspired by the traditional Indian mojris and ties with kurtas. When the world was going through a pandemic, a lot of norms changed. Sustainable Fashion is very important to Abraham and Thakore.
This is what led us to find them in the first place. We mentioned them in our Zayah World Guide to Sustainable Fashionas one of our three inspiring examples of sustainable fashion in practice today. They recognise more than most the role designers can play in changing attitudes, behaviours and business practices. Abraham and Thakore do that very well in their business, but then take it further by working with their suppliers to ensure they are also doing the best they can to achieve the same ends.
But to make a step change from there, they approach sustainability as a design challenge, such as the example we described in the Sustainable Fashion Guide: their use of discarded X-rays and bottle tops to create sequins. They also understand better than most that Indian society has a strong history of re-use in the home, starting with hand-me-down clothes, and repairing worn clothes being the preferred alternative to throwing them away.
But it goes much deeper, for example the Bengali technique of Kanthawhere old saris and fabrics are layered and stitched to create completely new attractive fabrics. A typical collection might include: antique recycled brocade trims and ribbons; reclaimed cotton, wool, nylon and polyester fabrics; Kantha-made borders; discarded x-ray sequins; and recovered bottle cap trim.
And the reaction from the fashion industry establishment? Perhaps best demonstrated by what mainstream Indian fashion blog MissMalini. Like so many matters of principle or social change in the world, there are many people who speak loudly and stridently about the things that matter to them. But Abraham and Thakore show that results can be at least effective from those who speak more quietly, or even not at all, but are putting the same values into practice in daily life.
We believe Abraham and Thakore are inspirational at many levels, and possess an uncommon mix of talent, values and personality. But we would single out their attitude to Sustainable Fashion for special mention. Sustainable Fashion is something very close to our own hearts, and we especially believe that designers and celebrities can have a disproportionate impact on how quickly things change in practice.
No one demonstrates this better than Abraham and Thakore. We also believe abrahams and thakore biography sample should be informed about what Sustainable Fashion is and means. And Abraham and Thakore are one of the best examples of how to do that without compromising on success, with lessons that everyone in the industry can learn from. A small step towards Nespresso recycling-Upcycled coffee pod jewellery.
Who Invented Clothes? Sustainable Living See All. Issue 4. What Others Say About Them. What They Say About Themselves. Entertainment News Sports. India World Business Fact Check. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email. Share Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email. Print this article. She bought some of our pieces and we never looked back. One thing led to another.
I have a friend, Sue Holtwho lives in London, she introduced us to the owner of Browns at the time a leading boutique store in London. The only strategy we had, which I really fought for right from the beginning, was that I refused to label our products under any other name. These buyers were not used to Indian brands. So they would ask us to put The Conran Shop label, for instance.
We were lucky. We were small. Handloom fabric from Phulia and Maheshwar, cotton Ikat from Andhra, woven by hand and cut in wearable, international styles. Both Abraham and Thakore are weavers themselves. We could do the minimum and these top shops preferred tiny quantities.
Abraham and thakore biography sample
Creating small quantities is a characteristic inherent in the handloom industry. And to see it as problematic is a foolishness that shapes the perception and policy of the handloom industry in our country. For handloom to imitate machine work, or to aspire to create quantities that a powerloom can, is counterproductive to what handlooms have to offer: qualities better suited to the luxury, not mass market.
Abraham stresses on the possibility of still being able to do that in India. In no other country can a designer go and print or weave something as small as 10m of fabric. Nowhere else. Japan is impossible. Indonesia maybe, but their range of expertise is limited to Ikats and batiks. In London, nothing but a little bit of tweed maybe. Meanwhile, in India, curated designer boutiques like Ensemble and Ogaan were finding their feet.
Later, others joined them, including JJ Valaya, Suneet Verma, Narender Kumar, Rana Gill and Anju Modi, operating much like a crafts guild that is based in community and promoting each other rather than functioning as an industry marked by competitiveness. Four years later, One MG Road closed down after a demolition drive that razed shops and structures.