His childhood memories of Indian textiles and his mother’s admiration for the beautiful hand-woven saris inspired Gaurang to design. But soon he realized that the weaving industry was marred by two grave issues. First, the demotivated weavers and second, lack of innovation. So, he embarked on a journey to bring a change that would not only restore the glorious past of Indian weavers but also successfully initiate a dialogue between the present and the future.

Gaurang Shah talks to us about his role as a revivalist and a futurist in fashion and shares his experiences how he convinced weavers to adapt to the industrial change.

Q. How do you perform the double act of being a revivalist and a futurist in fashion?

Ans. I was in awe of Indian textiles since my childhood and grew up watching women admiring saris.

However, what disheartened me was the fading appeal of Indian textiles especially the hand-woven sari. The disenchantment of weavers towards their art, stimulated me to bring back the sari in vogue and make it futuristic.

I began visiting looms and weavers across the country, learning the nuances of weaving, its limitations, and creative limits. I soon realized if weavers do not gain confidence in their art form, it would soon die. Hence, I took up the challenge of introducing them to new techniques of weaving. Initially,  we started working with a humble number of 2 weavers, today we have grown to a family of 700.

It is indeed, a double act as you rightly put it; first is to keep the weaver motivated and second, to compete with other forms of fashion with unique pieces of handlooms.

For me,  the way to take this forward is by seeking inspiration from cross-border influences and amalgamating different weaving techniques, textures and colours. Designs have to be inventive and should possess timeless character. I strongly believe every creation that comes from my creative stable has to be glamorous, wearable and comfortable.

Q. Tell us about your love affair with khadi.

Ans. Since the inception of our label we have worked with an innovative approach and have come up with different ways of playing around with khadi.  In our first collection, we experimented with the very delicate Indian khadi and introduced a range of vibrant floral blooms, birds and butterflies. Every time our efforts are concentrated on doing something exciting, therefore,  we often mix and match khadi with different fabrics such as muga, dupion silk, cotton and organza.

For our motifs and patterns, we have experimented with different textures of khadi. As for the colour palate, nature is always a great inspiration. For our international collections in Khadi we have used the Jamdani weaves with flowers, leaves and birds. Motifs have a varying tonal quality with the colours gradually moving from pastels to darker tones through the breadth of the sari.

Q. Was it easy convincing today’s discerning India to embrace khadi?

Ans. Kadhi is the eco-champion of fashion. What it required was vibrancy. If we are able to give women of today something new, our creations will be admired. Our substantial number of clients are always excited about our pieces beyond saris, such as off-shoulder dresses, anarkali suits and short tops paired with dhoti-style pants. Today’s discerning India requires a perfect balance of tradition and modernity and we are trying to achieve that.

Q. You are known to play with some very interesting motifs and you name your collections accordingly, where do you get inspiration for that?

Ans. Traditional motifs, inspired by the sculptures of South Indian temples, florals and geometrics drawn from nature have become our hallmark. As an avid exponent of varied textures and rich borders in the weaves, be it a cotton saree with a silk border or a muga-tussar border with a khadi body, the creations I have introduced are an enchanting fusion of tradition and craftsmanship. Different types of yarns like dupion, jute, muga and noil adorned by gold and silver zari are used for the design weaves whereas, eco-friendly and natural dyes from various fruits and leaves enrich the enchanting range of the creations. Primarily, the inspiration for names and motifs comes from the rich glorious past we’ve had as a nation, however,  the eyes have to be fixed on the future.

Q. Your saris are simply iconic. What does a sari signify to you?

Ans. It is a timeless piece of fashion and will always be part of a woman’s wardrobe. I grew up in awe of Indian sari as a young school boy.  It is the sign of grandeur and elegance, especially when it comes to Indian bride who want to make a solid fashion statement. I reintroduced some ideas such as the ‘Big Border’ sari and it became an instant hit. This is what excites me and keeps me motivated. It also allows me to break many creative boundaries both as a textile designer and a sari fashion creator.

Q. You work with a number of weavers, is it easy to convince them to work in a way which suits the modern day requirements?

Ans. It was a huge challenge at first. But soon the weavers realized that if changes were embraced, it would bring them economic stability and inspire them to raise their bar of craftsmanship. It’s hard to motivate weavers. To keep their interest alive in the art form it is necessary to kindle their creativity.