Old Is New

Reviving an old garment requires a lot of careful work. Ask Madhu Jain,who revived a khadi sari,hand-woven by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for Maneka Gandhi in 1941. She wore the sari in March this year for her son Varun’s wedding. “It was a bright pink sari in pure khadi. The trademark of the khadi fabric is its stiffness,but this sari was so old that it had become limp. I used an old ayurvedic concoction to give it more body and strength,” she explained.

According to textile designer Ashdeen Lilaowala,the trend to re-use quaint garments for modern occasions has picked up considerably. Lilaowala,who works with the Parsi gara sari mainly used for celebratory occasions,says,“I work with the revival of the embroidery,since it stays for the longest time. Sometimes we transfer the old embroidery on to a newer fabric,or add a “net” under the gara to give it strength,” he says.

Kusum Jain is a trader who procures such revived,restored pieces and resells them to collectors and designers. Among the many shops in Hauz Khas village which do revival work is Cottage of Arts & Jewels run by Jain. On the other hand,in royal families it is a custom to wear something from the mother’s wardrobe. “I get many families who want their ancestral saris to be revived in such a way that it can be used in the trousseau,” says revivalist and designer Neeru Kumar,who has worked with old and exquisite Paithani saris for families for many years now. “Paithani as we know know it,has been modernised now. The older Paithanis did not have parrots or peacocks on the pallu of the sari,” she says.

Delhi-based designer Pranavi Kapoor,who works with traditional needle-works like zari and gota,says,“Gota is rarely ever spoilt,and the old zari,which is made in pure gold,can be transferred to newer fabrics like silk,bandhani and crepe. But the trick is to make the garment more appealing to the younger crowd. Sometimes,we also ‘recycle’ the garments by making them into wearable items like shawls with old zari borders,” she explains.

This kind of recycling may not save the environment,but it does give a little piece from the past to the future.