Most kalamkari sold in the market is not authentic, says textile revivalist and researcher Nikita Shah

Demonstrating genuine kalamkari approach; Nikita Shah
| Picture Credit score: Particular Association

Shopping for a handloom textile that makes use of a 3,000-year-old craft is akin to buying a murals. Very similar to a portray or sculpture that holds worth for its authenticity, a hand-crafted material is price each rupee spent, says Nikita Shah, a Brooklyn-based unbiased researcher affiliated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Nikita, who honed her expertise in kalamkari whereas in Hyderabad, believes conscious consumption is vital to maintaining the craft alive.

She believes mass manufacturing has prompted many artisans to take shortcuts. “Kalamkari is a sluggish craft. Much less is extra — that must be the method if we would like it to outlive,” she says.

Kalamkari, which takes its identify from the kalam or pen utilized by artisans to attract motifs, includes a painstaking, multi-step course of. The material — usually cotton or silk — is handled with milk and pure astringents earlier than being hand-drawn and colored with pure dyes. Srikalahasti in Andhra Pradesh is thought for hand-painted kalamkari, whereas Machilipatnam is recognised for block-printed variations. Initially a medium for narrating people tales, kalamkari later developed into wearable artwork.

Pace over approach

Throughout a current go to to Srikalahasti, Nikita noticed that conventional pens have been more and more being changed by thick brushes, fingers and even sponges — typically used with chemical dyes. “It’s disheartening to see artisans prioritising pace over approach. Youthful artisans, regardless of being educated by older generations, are beneath strain to satisfy market calls for and are compromising on the method,” she says.

In Machilipatnam, digital and display printing are steadily changing hand block printing, making it more durable for customers to inform the distinction.

Mumbai-born Nikita is an alumna of National Institute of Fashion Technology Kannur and labored for practically a decade with Hyderabad-based designers Gaurang Shah and Mamata Reddy (Kalam Creations) earlier than pursuing an affiliate diploma on the Vogue Institute of Expertise, New York. In 2021, she launched her personal label, Untitle by Nikita, within the US, creating separates like trench coats and attire utilizing conventional craft strategies. The identify displays her resolution to interrupt away from the seasonal cycle of vogue collections. “Quick vogue just isn’t appropriate with sluggish, conventional strategies. Again once I labored with Gaurang for Lakmé Fashion Week, we’d start collections practically two years prematurely. You can’t rush kalamkari — it isn’t even possible within the monsoon,” she says.

Reviving a heritage craft

When she realised many NRIs hesitated to pay for cotton or admire the labour behind the craft, she started providing kalamkari workshops to bridge the hole. “As soon as folks attempt it themselves, holding a kalam and trying to color on material, they perceive why a sari or gown can take months to complete.”

From Untitle by Nikita assortment.
| Picture Credit score:
Particular Association

Nikita is at present researching kalamkari story cloths, which have been historically used to relate people tales. She is particularly involved concerning the growing commercialisation and inauthentic practices. “Display printers typically mimic hand block prints with slight imperfections to allow them to go them off as handmade,” she explains.

Suggestions for recognizing actual kalamkari, in keeping with Nikita:

Cloth: Genuine kalamkari is finished on cotton or silk, not artificial blends. Contact and really feel the textile; blends usually tend to carry display or digital prints.

Colors: Real kalamkari makes use of natural dyes, leading to muted, earthy tones. “Examine your spice rack,” she says. “That’s the place many dyes come from.” Neon shades or vivid pinks often point out chemical processing.

Inconsistencies: Minor variations in motifs are an indication of handwork. No two hand-painted figures are precisely alike.

Scent: The material is usually handled with cow or buffalo milk, giving it a definite, faint odor that fades with a number of washes.

Flip check: Digital prints are simple to identify — the again will typically be white or barely printed.

Nikita advocates for selecting one genuine piece over ten mass-produced ones. For many who dislike repeating outfits, she has a sensible tip: “Take a cue from our grandmothers — they exchanged saris amongst family and friends.”

For many who search genuine kalamkari, she suggests exhibitions hosted by the State boards of Craft Council of India, Hyderabad-based label Malkha that specialises in pure dyes and hand block prints, and Mamata Reddy’s vary of kalamkari creations.