Abstract
The irony of the existence of varied classes of the society, into a single fashion product, has been there since the inception of the industry itself and is ever more evident in the glamour of Indian couture and the magnanimity it represents. The hands that make and the hands that use them are drifting further apart. A section of the society is making our couture, embroidering and stitching them, up to the last minute ironing, while a very different section is throwing big fat lavish celebrations, while adorning them. In this paper I share a handful of experiences that I have had with artisans employed by the various segments of the fashion industry across India and many introspections that we have had beyond the product, having the privilege of being a designer travelling across the country for various projects. A tailor once said to me - you know what most designers are just like us kaarigars, but they can speak better English. Instead of trying to correct him, I looked in retrospect and wondered about the social divide, the different classes of the society that the designers/consumers and artisans on the other come from. Will the social structure ever allow the craftsmen to become a designer and start their own house as many have done in the west since the last century, is the question that I have often wondered about, how can we designers solve this gap, is what I broadly touch upon in this paper.
Presenters
Pritam SahaAssistant Professor, School of Fashion Design, Karnavati University, Gujarat, India
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
MAKERS, SOCIETY, CLASS-DIVIDE, ARTISANAL, INDIAN COUTURE
