On the occasion of Rakhi, Handloom Visualizer Shashiv Chandran launches UTSAV website with an elegant collection entitled, “Rang Pratha”, which is available online: https://utsav.in. The collection showcases traditional handlooms that have been infused with contemporary textures, weaves, hues and patterns in a new range of sarees, fabrics, dupattas and salwaar-kurtas. UTSAV works with master weavers from across India.
Designer Shashiv Chandran says, "Rakhi is such a unique celebration; it underlines the unique bond among siblings across gender. Brothers and sisters celebrate their shared memories - and pain. Rakhi is also when women get gifts, and what can be better than handloom weaves and prints in sarees, fabrics and dupattas, which reinforce the bond of sibling love. And, simultaneously create avenues of economic sustenance for millions of workers in the handloom and related industries."
He further added, "RANG PRATHA is my tribute to bring back colour into our lives, recently strained and stressed by the COVID pandemic. UTSAV's endeavour is to support our weavers and printers during their current economic slide. I believe in hope and in the restored future of our traditional handlooms and weaving traditions.
Also, in pandemic times, UTSAV customers across the country felt "boxed". So our state-of-the-art website was created as an aesthetic lifeline. It brings to life the UTSAV ethic and our celebration of India's rich handloom heritage."
Founded in 1991, UTSAV has been working with heritage woven handloom textile traditions, co-creating unique designs with weavers from across India. Their endeavour has been two-fold: to nurture and sustain India’s heritage handloom wealth; and to simultaneously re-energize the craftsmen with aesthetic contemporary design and colour sensibilities – and to create sarees, dupattas and fabrics that are a joy to behold, touch and drape! UTSAV takes pride in nurturing India’s vast abundance of tradition and heritage and reinterpreting them with a keen sense of aesthetics, design, colour and balance. Each UTSAV textile is visualized in minute detail in close collaboration with master weavers from across India especially in the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.
VISION
UTSAV sees each saree as a link with a distinct weaving tradition with its own unique personality. The relationship of the weight of the yarn to the weave pattern, of the pallu to the border, every aspect of the ubiquitous six yards of cloth adds incredibly to its magic and mystery! It is these strengths that UTSAV celebrates in the cherished Indian saree.
PROCESS
The process involves identifying unique and often rare textile fragments, colours and designs that have gone out of weaver memory. UTSAV enables the revival of such patterns, textures and colours and helps the products reach UTSAV’s large urban customer base who greatly value this design and quality additionality that UTSAV brings to Indian handlooms.
UTSAV has identified key master weavers, some of whom work exclusively for UTSAV, and other weavers who have taken up the challenge of returning to colloquial weaving roots of their past. In its range of hand block prints, UTSAV’s focus includes vegetable colours, which today have a new and popular market niche. Their intrinsic values are much sought after; they are eco-friendly, safe, non-hazardous, gentle, soft and subtle.
SOCIAL GOALS
What is also unique about the UTSAV model is the ploughing back of profits to enable the weavers, printers and dyers of yarn to get better education for their children, help with emergency assistance, support to be better enabled with design and customer preferences and through this design dialogue offer dignity and value-addition to the humble weavers and other textile workers.
UTSAV’s commitment and firm belief in the heritage value of Indian handlooms is unshakeable and it continues its work as it enters the third decade of its creativity. The company seek valued support in this effort to create in their humble weavers and printers a strong sense of pride and dignity, thus enabling them and their future generations to be able to continue creating what is today the lifeline of millions in India – THE SAREE.
