In celebration of their fifth anniversary, Vogue India orchestrated a unique collaboration between two worlds. They searched the whole of India to find the most exquisite handcrafted textiles and then invited some of the biggest international labels to use these textiles to create something inspiring, something momentous. The result was Project Renaissance.
In the West today, a “Made in India” label would generally suggest a cheap mass produced good to most consumers and not an indication of master craftsmanship but many of the top international fashion brands use Indian craftsmen to create their most embellished designs.
Project Renaissance gives us all an opportunity to see that in the deepest alcoves of rural India exists the most sophisticated weaving, printing and dying techniques. From the patola saris of Patan, the weaving patterns of the tribes of Nagaland, the excruciating labour of love it takes to tie millions of minuscule mustard seeds in silk to create breathtaking bandhini and tie-dye fabrics in Gujarat and Rajasthan, gold brocades from Benares, temple-bordered Kanchipuram silks from Tamil Nadu and fragile jamavars from Kashmir.
Images: Vogue India
