Living Blue: Cultures-Based Innovations in Natural Dyeing and Sustainability Symposium

Dori Tunstall at Swinburne University is coordinating an indigenous cultural exchange involving natural dyes. The day-long seminar is a chance to learn about what happened and where it is going.

Priya Ravish Mehra makes art inspired by rafoogars

Priya Ravish Mehra is an influential figure in the Indian craft scene. For many years she has worked with traditional darners – ‘rafoogars’ – from her home town of Najibabad. In 2006, she brought out two rafoogars to Melbourne for the Commonwealth Games cultural festival, where they were the subject of great fascination as experts … Continue reading Priya Ravish Mehra makes art inspired by rafoogars

Batik design partnerships in Indonesia

As a craft, batik seems quintessentially Indonesian. After a dispute with Malaysia about its origin, UNESCO in 2009 officially recognised batik as part of Indonesia’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. To celebrate, President Yudhoyono declared 2 October to be batik day, and called on all Indonesians to wear their national costume with pride every Friday. This proved … Continue reading Batik design partnerships in Indonesia

Fashionable Early Modern Adaptation of Indian Embroideries and its Contemporary Significance

Questions arise followed by a gasp of astonishment when one confronts a gigantic wall-hanging comprising European design minutely embroidered in Indian chain stitch so as to simulate printed design. This encounter with a late seventeenth century piece of textile craft at the Calico museum is what led me to investigate European adaptation of traditional Indian … Continue reading Fashionable Early Modern Adaptation of Indian Embroideries and its Contemporary Significance

Learning to weave in Bangalore

Alison Hussey reports on her hands on experience learning from traditional weavers, and how it is giving way to the IT industry For many of us with an interest in hand-crafted textiles, we learn about the art and skill of weaving and embellishment by buying textiles that look interesting to us. If we’re lucky, we … Continue reading Learning to weave in Bangalore

Fashion design with a conscience

Western designers working with traditional artisans in India creating products for a consumer market with an ethical consciousness. How can the designers contribute to the artisan communities in a sustainable way? Bhukhu is an appliqué embroiderer from the small village of Marharbat, near Barmer in Rajasthan, India. She is sixty-four years old. Bhukhu learnt the … Continue reading Fashion design with a conscience

UTS Fashion and Textile India Tour Exhibition

See how the UTS textile and fashion students worked with artisans through the Happy Hands workshop in Delhi. 1-15 November 2012UTS Textiles Library, 730 Harris Street, Ultimo, DAB Building 6, Level 3, Room 346 Opening 1 November 12pm Nine UTS fashion and textile students embarked on a journey to India for a celebration of Australian … Continue reading UTS Fashion and Textile India Tour Exhibition

Chikankari–How to protect the fragile thread that connects generations

Minna Loft, a graduate from jewellery at Monash University, reflects on her recent experience learning about Indian crafts in northern India India never ceases to amaze me, continually impressive and unpredictable. The generosity that I have experienced in India is breathtaking. I recently headed back there for my own research and intrigue. With previous experience … Continue reading Chikankari–How to protect the fragile thread that connects generations

Carole Douglas builds partnerships for a less lonely planet

One of the greatest testimonies to Indian textiles is the deep commitment it solicits in others. Carole Douglas has dedicated many years of her life to honouring the craft traditions of Kutch – a remote desert area of NW India and sharing a border with Pakistan. For Douglas, her involvement with textiles and the arts … Continue reading Carole Douglas builds partnerships for a less lonely planet

Better World Arts: Friendship calls, from Kaltjiti to Kashmir

[photofade order=’random’] Carolyn Wilson has created a remarkable path between Australia and India, finding a way to jointly promote cultural sustainability of Kashmiri artisans and Aboriginal communities. This unusual but successful conjunction arose partly from answering the call of a friend, twice. Carolyn is the founder of Better World Arts, an organisation that paved new … Continue reading Better World Arts: Friendship calls, from Kaltjiti to Kashmir