Handwoven textile label Swati & Sunaina, the brainchild of co-founders, Swati Agarwal and Sunaina Jalan, is a luminescent tale of enlightening innovations on the loom. Here, Agarwal tells us about the rivers of India, reviving forgotten weaves, radiant drapes and more.
The enchanting pure gold zari, indigenous silks and a treasure-trove of techniques that treat fabrics as a canvas, make the soul of the Kolkata-based label known for several design interventions and pioneering textiles research. We speak with Agarwal on what makes for a vintage language in the Indian handloom space and what lies ahead in the future of textiles. As she shared her wisdom on working with the lost woven treasures of India, we lost ourselves in a kindred world of warmth, love for saris and love for women who love (and do not love) textiles.
(Edited excerpts)
FL: Could you take us through the ‘Vanya’ collection of Swati & Sunaina GOLD, especially the use of indigenous silks from Varanasi, Bihar and Northeast India?
SA: Being a pioneer of innovation and uniqueness in Banarasi weaves, we wanted to further explore the possibilities of material and textural qualities as an addition to our existing collections. The use of pure gold zari and indigenous mulberry are the forte of S&S. With Vanya, we are venturing into the wild silks of India that have unique characteristics and properties and that are yet unexplored in the mainstream segment of textiles and fashion. These silks are relatively new to the looms of Banaras and are comparatively rare as compared to mulberry silk. The challenge would be to introduce these yarns of varied qualities using the reed, denting-drafting patterns, warping and dyeing systems of Banaras looms. The highly fibrous yarns tend to tangle and form slubs during the weaving process, and hence have to be incorporated cleverly to accommodate and enhance the property of each silk. We used mulberry, tussar, muga and eri yarn in every Vanya piece.
FL: The label Swati & Sunaina GOLD presented a magnificent Jamdani from Varanasi at the ‘Sutr Santati’ exhibition in Delhi’s National Museum this year. How do motifs, metaphors, and consciousness come together to create new dialogues in textiles at such exhibits?
SA: Textiles have a unique quality of infusing a degree of three -dimensionality and tactility, as well as leveraging the symbolic content of memories, narratives and cultural meanings from the previous lives of materials, makers and everyday living in new contexts. The cultural contexts of the craft contribute equally to the end product as much as the
surface design.
The Jamdani at Sutr Santati was an effort to celebrate our country and its design was inspired by the rivers of India. The ‘Unity in diversity’ is the most unique feature of India and the river system is a constant binding factor, which gives life to various cultures and the diaspora. The integration of two of the greatest weaves, rangkaat and Jamdani was successfully tried for the first time. The exhibit also addressed the role that the textile industry has played in polluting India’s rivers, highlighting a message of how our collective choices and responsibilities will make all the difference in paving the way for the future.
However, I would like to take a moment here to mention the patronage offered by the Abheraj Baldota Foundation that was a reminder of how art flourishes with patronage.
FL: From 2007 until now, how would you describe the evolution of your Kolkata-based Banarasi textile label?
SA: Sunaina and I came together in 2007 in Kolkata with a conviction to bring back the lost treasures of Indian woven textiles and offer them to a discerning audience that truly appreciates craft and the efforts of craftsmen. In this endeavour, we have worked tirelessly to infuse innovation and freshness, which reflects in the motifs, colours, and layouts, culminating in limited-edition textiles that celebrate tradition. Using innovation while keeping the ethos of Indian textile history alive, we have strived to find the precarious balance between tradition and innovation.
As a brand, Swati & Sunaina GOLD looks to leave a legacy of creating and bringing challenging concepts to life. With the Vanya collection, the brand is moving towards creating unique exhibition-quality pieces while making a statement in terms of technical skill, craftsmanship and the use of different textural qualities.
FL: Swati & Sunaina GOLD works towards reviving some of the rarest Banarasi hand weaves. You have even pioneered the certification of zari. How has this focus benefitted master craftspeople?
SA: The zari that is used in our saris is created in the only remaining workshop in the world, in Banaras, that is known to use pure gold and silver. The Banaras weaving cluster is cluttered with middlemen trying to make profits on the backs of skilled weavers. To maximise production and profits, the products often compromise on quality, detail, skill and craftsmanship. The certification of S&S does not just guarantee that the sari is woven in pure silk and zari but also provides all the details of the materials used, right from the name of the weaver weaving the sari to the grams of gold used in the zari. This ensures in keeping the values of
The exhibit also addressed the role that the textile industry has played in polluting India’s rivers, highlighting a message of how our collective choices and responsibilities will make all the difference in paving the way for the future.
SWATI AGARWAL
transparency and trust alive while educating customers in the complexity of bringing a woven heirloom to life and giving due credit to the skilled artisans without whom it would not be possible.
FL: When it comes to rocking a vintage weave, who wears it best and adds their own spark to it?
SA: Women, who appreciate saris and Indian textiles, bring their own unique personalities and style to the weaves and to specify any particular name would be a disservice to all those sari lovers out there.
FL: With rangkaat, what innovation did you delve into in terms of techniques and traditions?
SA: As a hand-weaving technique, the rangkaat is time- consuming and requires very specific artistic skills. It is for these reasons, among others, that we have not seen much experimentation in it. It offers enormous creative possibilities In innovation. Techniques like the rengkaat can demonstrate that despite mechanisation, the handmade offers limitless design possibilities in luxury textiles and products.
Going by its current popularity, it is safe to assume that this weave will continue to be a focus of mainstream design in the future especially because of its technique and the impactful modernism that the colour-blocking style brings to a traditional textile. It’s a confluence of technique, tradition and modernism.
The brand continues to push boundaries and create new ideas in the cluster with these techniques. For example, the rangkaat in the ‘Bela’ sari of the Vanya collection has been achieved not just with colour but also with utilisation of different yarns of silk and cotton.
FL: What are some of the most emerging palettes, silhouettes, and motifs in the Indian handloom lexicon?
SA: Benaras has always been known for being adaptive. Techniques like gyaser [world heritage textile), tanchoi, and dampach were all brought into the Banaras cluster by external influences. Similarly, material interventions were introduced through the use of different silks. The Indian handloom industry is moving towards adapting to different ideas, styles, and techniques of weaving. This flexibility allows them to mould as per requirement, which is a gain for the industry as it doesn’t fall prey to stagnancy or monotony. For colour palettes, I would say that Indian jewel colours are an all-time favourite while experimenting with pastels, while offbeat colours always bring a freshness. The Indian design repertoire is so vast that motifs are often inspired from vintage textiles. However, at Swati & Sunaina GOLD we draw inspiration from nature and art.
FL: If you have to describe the signature of a Swati & Sunalna Jamdanl, how would you do It?
SA: S&S Jamdani strives to retain the intricacy that was seen in the old Dhaka Jamdanis rather than the large blocky motifs commonly seen in the market today. Jamdani is a time-consuming and labour-intensive form of weaving because of the richness of its motifs, which are created directly on the loom using the discontinuous weft technique. One of the most remarkable things about the motifs on a Jamdani sari is that they are not made by jacquard, not requiring any repeat units in the design. Through this technique, we treat the fabric as a canvas to bring the patterns to life that couldn’t be imagined on woven textiles.
FL: As female entrepreneurs, what would you like to say to aspiring women – both legacy and first-time – entrepreneurs in the Indian fashion space?
SA: A woman has a unique ability to approach her work with sensitivity as well as grit. In my opinion, this is often the singular factor that sets her apart. It propels her to strive for a perfect work-life balance and stay focused on her goals while creating a foundation based on honesty and purity of intent towards the product. And at the end of the day, this is what sets the pace for success.
FL: Since we are celebrating vintage and heritage this season, is there a Swati & Sunaina story or anecdote you would like to share?
SA: In my career spanning more than a decade, one thing that always stands out is the memory of a young, Indian-origin scientist who lived in the US. She used to save up money and gift herself a sari from Swati & Sunaina every year on her birthday. She said being wrapped in a sari made her feel closer to home and since she got very few opportunities to wear one, she invested in a collection for herself, buying one weave at a time from us.
FL: Who are your favourite icons, fashion or otherwise, or simply icons who inspire you?
SA: We always look up to women who have made a place for themselves in their chosen field of work. A personal style that defies seasonal fashion trends or adopts them in their own fashion style is also very appealing. To me, Roshni Nadar is one such person.
FL: Finally, what’s the USP of Swati & Sunaina curated exhibits?
SA: The core attributes of the brand are the rarity and uniqueness of each sari, the excellence in technique and the technical aspects of textiles including revival and education of forgotten weaves, skills and techniques while constantly pushing boundaries and innovating within the vocabulary of the Banaras cluster. Our curated exhibits offer all of the core values that our company believes in. We share information through the visual medium of films, while we encourage our clients to touch and feel the yarns that go into the making of a sari.
The certification of S&S does not just guarantee that the sari is woven in pure silk and zari but also provides all the details of the materials used, right from the name of the weaver weaving the sari to the grams of gold used in the zari.
SWATI AGARWAL