India’s milliners are adding a feather to the fashion industry’s cap

India’s fascination for headgear doesn’t solely lengthen to the socio-religious ambit with taqiyah, EXPLAIN taqiyah turbans or conventional Bengali topor, but in addition to the politico-cultural zeitgeist. Keep in mind the well-known Gandhi topi that made a comeback with social activist Anna Hazare’s 2011 starvation strike for The Lokpal Invoice? The accent got here to outline the sartorial selections of many freedom fighters too, take Bhagat Singh and Subhas Chandra Bose, for example. On the planet of sports activities, additionally, baseball caps and cricket hats have been nothing in need of a mode assertion.

MUMBAI, 07/04/2011: Social activist Anna Hazare on the third day of his quick unto demise marketing campaign, demanding anti-corruption legislation on the traces of Lokpal Invoice, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Supporters of Anna Hazare sporting Gandhi Topi and holding a tricolour in her hand take part in rally, ‘India Towards Corruption’ at Azad maidan in Mumbai on April 07, 2011.
Picture: Vivek Bendre
| Picture Credit score:
VIVEK BENDRE

An unmistakable choose for a sunny day on the seaside, a polo match or a derby, hats have all the time been round. They could assume a distinguished spot on the equipment vertical of main trend retail manufacturers that additionally dabble in attire, however solely a handful of individuals in India tread the highway much less travelled that results in the artsy-craftsy world of millinery.

Ardour mission

Shilpa Chavan who runs the label Little Shilpa, based in 2008, is the primary that involves thoughts.

The Mumbai-based milliner may as effectively be known as an artist for the post-modern aesthetics she employs to her dramatic headpieces which are a cross between fascinators and wearable artwork. She is the primary Indian milliner to design headgear for celebrities like Woman Gaga and Sonam Kapoor, whereas additionally stamping her presence on runways — be it designing headgear for contestants and hosts of magnificence pageants within the Nineties or showcasing her headpieces at Lakme Style Week in 2009, adopted by London Style Week, Paris Style Week and Milan Style Week.

“After all, headgear is embedded in India’s cultural narrative. Hat making or millinery is a craft, similar to embroidery. I did a military-inspired assortment in 2011 and was scrounging for somebody who makes Gandhi topis, however might solely spot one man in Mumbai. So, I obtained him to duplicate the topi within the cloth I needed. Sadly, millinery just isn’t recognised,” she says. Stating that headgear may be too “costumey”, Shilpa says it must be practical too, particularly when it goes right into a retail house.

Little Shilpa’s military-inspired assortment
| Picture Credit score:
Particular association

Performance is in actual fact one of many the explanation why Ahmedabad-based Nirali Rangwala, who based Maaneh Millinery in 2018, launched solar hats to her eclectic assortment of fascinators, derby hats and berets final yr. “Traditionally, although Indian males have all the time been sporting hats and headgear, Indian girls coated their heads with the pallu of a sari, a dupatta or a shawl. To Indian girls, the idea of hats was launched by colonisers. So, I needed to create hats that could possibly be worn within the solar, not to mention events like polo matches or a derby,” she says.

Ahmedabad-based Nirali Rangwala, who based Maaneh Millinery in 2018
| Picture Credit score:
Particular association

Nirali, who’s an aerospace engineer by occupation, was enticed by millinery in Kentucky in 2011. “I used to be working in Kentucky. It’s identified for the derby. I used to be mesmerised by fascinators and hats sported by girls at one of many derby occasions there. I learnt the craft from Jenny Pfanenstiel, who relies in Louisville, after which attended a number of workshops on millinery,” she provides. Nirali began the model quickly after getting married. “I used to be beguiling my time with millinery in Gujarat, after I obtained married and shifted to India, when my husband and in-laws took be aware of my creations. They had been impressed and prompt that I began a model. That’s how Maaneh Millinery was born,” she recollects. Stating that Maaneh interprets to respect, honour, esteem and regard in Sanskrit, she associates the time period with the sensation a hat might evoke. “It’s like a crown,” she says.

Crafting methods

Shilpa couldn’t agree extra. “I’ve all the time been fascinated with crowns that our gods put on. That was the sub-conscious concept that sparked my curiosity about headgear. There’s this unsaid energy in a head costume. I studied trend, however I all the time struggled with seasons, guidelines, tailors. I’m a extra hands-on handicrafts individual. Millinery is my canvas, the place I can inform no matter story I would like,” she says.

Shilpa tells her tales although hats utilizing unconventional supplies, from bangles to paper cones and rubber-slipper thongs to Plexiglas
| Picture Credit score:
Particular association

Shilpa does inform her tales by means of hats utilizing unconventional materials, from bangles to paper cones and rubber-slipper thongs to Plexiglas. “I typically use seven to eight completely different methods and it requires knowhow of structural and architectural parts related to millinery. These methods embrace laser slicing, laser soldering, typically items are constructed with sizzling glue or held along with simply wires. Millinery is like embroidery within the air,” she shares. Shilpa comes armed with a strong coaching in millinery, which she studied at Central Saint Martins, London, beneath the Charles Wallace India Belief Scholarship by the British Council and later interned with ace milliner Philip Treacy. Her greatest takeaway: “All the time flip the hat the wrong way up and see what it seems like from the within. Additionally, how effectively does the hat steadiness.” She provides that the one cause she accepts an order on millinery is that if she is satisfied that it’s creatively enhancing, difficult.

Namrata Lodha, founder and head designer of Myaraa, a five-year-old luxurious hat model of India
| Picture Credit score:
Particular association

Most milliners are specific in regards to the headgear’s base cloth. Namrata Lodha, founder and head designer of Myaraa, a five-year-old luxurious hat model of India, gravitates in direction of pure, breathable choices. “We like raffia and wheat straw as a result of they’re gentle, summery, and opulent. After we’re searching for one thing with extra construction and a timeless really feel, we flip to vegan felt. If I had to decide on a favorite, it will be straw,” says Namrata, who was initiated into hat making by a propitious trip in America. “I used to be visiting my son, who was planning a visit to the Bahamas together with his spouse. They’d picked up a number of hats for the holiday, and I requested them if I might embroider their names onto the hats. Later, their mates began asking if I might make some for them too. That’s how Myaraa got here into being.”

Tuft Hat by Myaraa 
| Picture Credit score:
Particular association

The model makes all its hats in India, in Harda, Madhya Pradesh. “Our manufacturing is seasonal. We watch for the wheat harvest to complete so we will use contemporary straw. It’s a really natural course of, rooted within the rhythms of the land. Once I began Myaraa, I needed to construct greater than only a model; I needed to create alternatives. So, I skilled girls from my city, a lot of whom had by no means carried out craft work earlier than, and in the present day they’re the expert artisans behind every bit. It’s a small, close-knit setup, however there’s a lot coronary heart that goes into each hat we create,” she provides.

The hatter’s toolkit 

Instruments utilized by Nirali for making intricate flowers utilizing French and Japanese methods
| Picture Credit score:
Particular association

Millinery is each, time-consuming and dexterous. Shilpa and Nirali confess to having spent days, typically even weeks to make only one piece. “I take advantage of loads of Indian textiles and the collections are primarily based on Pantone pigments. Sinamay abaca fibre cloth is the bottom materials made out of banana plant, which is my most popular selection for the bottom cloth. I take advantage of French floral methods on silk, organza, velvet and leather-based. Additionally, Japanese origami cloth and paper-flower-making methods are used for varied trims, alongside intricate feather work. My current assortment of fascinators is sort of floral,” explains Nirali. She additionally factors at many fascinators that characteristic embellished mesh veil, with rhinestones, pearls and Swarovski. Her hats begin at ₹4,000 and might go upto ₹50,000. Maaneh Millinery operates out of a workshop-cum-studio in Ahmedabad, with Nirali joined by two assistants.

Actress Huma Qureshi in a fascinator designed by Nirali’s Maaneh Millinery
| Picture Credit score:
Particular association

The pricing of hats usually is determined by its creative worth that’s decided by the standard of fabric used, structural detailing, labour and lots of different components. For Shilpa, it’s the technical knowhow. “I don’t use a mould for making hats, like most milliners, as I discover it too restrictive. However I really like experimenting with new supplies, from plastic toys to mirrors and Swarovski. I earn a living from home and with simply two or three assistants,” she says. Her creations are priced above ₹10,000.

Shilpa is thought to have created headgear for assortment campaigns of ace trend designers, like Sabyasachi, Boudicca, Tarun Tahiliani, Varun Bahl, Manish Arora, Manish Malhotra, and Wendell Rodricks. Myaraa just isn’t far behind. Final yr, Namrata’s model teamed up with designer Payal Singal for The Blossom Assortment of hats. “Every hat on this assortment is a celebration of summer season with floral elaborations, eco-friendly supplies,” informs Namrata. Just a few years in the past, Myaraa had teamed up with Kate Stoltz, a New York-based designer. The model’s hats are priced between ₹1,999 and ₹11,799.

Designer-cum-milliner

It needs to be fascinating to notice that whereas high milliners, like Stephen Jones and Philip Treacy, made hats for trend designers and vital popular culture icons, many distinguished trend designers too turned well-known for his or her hat designs. The checklist contains Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and Lilly Daché. In India too, some trend designers have taken to millinery — from Delna Poonawalla, Nitin Bal Chauhan and Nida Mahmood to Kunal Rawal and Ritu Beri. We spoke to Delhi-based couturier Urvashi Kaur, whose current assortment ShinSei showcases bucket hats created from scrap cloth. “The hats aren’t knitted; they’re constructed utilizing textile waste by means of patchwork method. Every bit is reversible, and a few embrace thread embroidery. We developed distinctive patchwork layouts that allowed us to make use of even the smallest kathran (cloth remnants) from the studio flooring,” says Urvashi. The hats vary from ₹3,500 to ₹6,800.

Designer Urvashi Kaur’s current assortment ShinSei showcases bucket hats created from scrap cloth
| Picture Credit score:
Particular association

Many Indian apparel-and-accessory manufacturers have additionally began including hats to their enterprise verticals. You could discover hats by Subsequent, Chokore, which sells all types of equipment from baggage to footwear, Odette, which not too long ago ventured into millinery, or One Much less, which, like Myaraa, can be romancing raffia. Its founder Hansika Chhabria, who began One Much less in 2021, has launched a variety of raffia hats.

Raffia hat by One Much less
| Picture Credit score:
Particular association

“Created from segments of raffia palm bushes, raffia is sourced from Madagascar. The fibre turned in style in 2022 and it’s right here to remain. We included hats in our model in 2023 and have solely crafted them from both natural cotton or raffia as a result of One Much less promotes sustainable trend and is dedicated to minimising environmental impression,” says Hansika.

Whereas sustainability appeals to Hansika, Mamta Roy, founding father of Odette, pivots on selection. The model affords solar hats, bucket hats, wide-brimmed hats, berets, cloche hats, traditional pillbox hats and fascinators beginning at ₹960. “Our hat-making course of combines each conventional and modern methods to create distinctive and beautiful items. We use hand-blocking to form the hats, adopted by stitching and embroidery so as to add intricate particulars. There’s appliqué work and beading too,” says Mamta, of her five-year-old model.

Odette affords solar hats, bucket hats, wide-brimmed hats, berets, cloche hats, traditional pillbox hats and fascinators 
| Picture Credit score:
Particular association

Shilpa has not launched a brand new assortment since 2018, and is now mixing millinery with filmmaking. Namrata and Nirali don’t have any such plans. “We’ve seen a few 30% to 35% improve in gross sales year-on-year, particularly as individuals journey extra and experiment with private fashion,” says Namrata. Maaneh Millinery too has recorded a 20% rise in gross sales. “The most important problem for a milliner in India is altering perceptions. Hats haven’t been a part of on a regular basis fashionable trend right here, most individuals see them as one thing only for holidays or weddings. Educating the market and making hats really feel related to Indian life has taken time,” says Namrata in regards to the challenges that milliners like her have weathered to color the panorama of India’s trend business with vibrant hues.