FICCI FLO works on contemporary reimagining of Toda embroidery and jamakkalams

The Toda threads and jamakalam revowen showcase by FICCI FLO
| Picture Credit score: R Ravindran

India’s wealthy array of crafts and the artisans behind all of it  have numerous tales to weave. 

Take P Sakthivel from Bhavani close to Erode, as an example. He’s the third era from his household to be engaged within the artwork of weaving jamalakkalams however right now, the circumstances of his enterprise have modified, he says. “Powerlooms have taken over and there are fewer individuals now who’re making jamakkalams the standard method,” he says.

Anuradha Halan, who has been working with Toda artisans from the Nilgiris, has a lot to say about about watching the pioneering work of her mentor Evam Piljen Wiedemann, and the way she popularised the Toda embroidery. 

Vharsha Raheja, Arti Bagdy and Nabila Avais
| Picture Credit score:
R Ravindran

In a bid to honour these crafts, in addition to work on a up to date revival of their artistry by way of design interventions, the handloom and textile vertical of the FICCI Girls Organisation (FLO), has been working for over a yr now with two initiatives focussed on Toda embroidery and jamakkalams. The initiative goals to take it to a bigger viewers. 

Cushion covers and potli baggage with Toda embroidery
| Picture Credit score:
R Ravindran

“We started these initiatives, Toda Threads and Jamakkalam Rewoven, by understanding what the challenges confronted by the communities engaged on creating the textiles had been,” says Arti Bagdy, head of the textile and handloom vertical of FICCI FLO. Arti and committee members Vharsha Raheja and Nabila Avais, have been engaged on empowering these artisans by way of design interventions to go well with evolving modern tastes and types. 

“Whereas Toda embroidery is featured predominantly on shawls, now we have created a complete vary of house furnishings with their distinct crimson and black embroidery on white. This consists of cushion covers, desk runners and coasters,” Arti says. The big jamakkalam, a conventional hand-woven carpet typically in darkish crimson, inexperienced and blue has taken form as smaller, extra modern rugs that can be utilized in houses versus bigger areas. The distinct jamakkalam stripes additionally function on cushion covers and coasters as part of this capsule assortment. 

“The Toda neighborhood is extraordinarily small and amongst them, lower than 350 girls within the Nilgiris work on this distinctive embroidery. Regardless of the craft having a GI certification, we’re seeing outsiders attempting to copy this with out partaking with the Toda artisans,” Anuradha says. The Toda Threads challenge nonetheless, she says, has engaged straight with the ladies artisans who’re extraordinarily enthused by the response to those design interventions, she provides.  

Cushion covers and jamakkalam rugs
| Picture Credit score:
R Ravindran

Sakthivel, who has been engaged on the jamakkalam challenge agrees that the newer designs and hues appear to have worldwide enchantment. “Individuals have at all times liked the old-school jamakkalam patterns so it’s no shock that they need a model of this of their houses right now,” he says. 

As a part of the Toda Threads initiative, FICCI FLO additionally collaborated with designer Tarun Tahiliani, to showcase the flexibility of Toda embroidery in modern trend final July. 

Divya Abhishek, chairperson of FLO Chennai describes this initiative as the right mix of custom, innovation, and empowerment. “With a devoted staff and the artistry of our craftspeople, we’re showcasing Tamil Nadu’s textile heritage to the world in a method that’s each significant and related,” she says. 

Arti says that it is very important underscore the importance of those crafts, and for the worldwide neighborhood to embrace the wealthy legacy of textile heritage this contributes to. “Whereas these designs have been showcased at our meets and have discovered favour amongst our members throughout the nation, now we have greater plans as nicely. We hope to arrange devoted channels to take these on to the purchasers — by way of a web site in addition to in shops,” she says.