Eclectic Northeast – July 2019

July 2019 │ │ 79

The Canvas
Taatini’s flagship product is the saree. ‘We work
with different yarn combinations, weaves and unique
colour palette to enhance the dramatic effect of tribal
design. We have vegetable dyed hand-woven Eri
sarees, embellished with Kasuti hand embroidery of
Karnataka. Kasuti takes well to hand-woven fabric as
the technique dictates that the warp and weft threads
are first counted out to be able to do this kind of
embroidery. Eri is a versatile fabric, which helped us
create the right base and weave to showcase Kasuti.
Aesthetically, they seemed to be the perfect match.
The motifs used in Kasuti are geometric and inspired
by nature and the surroundings. This is similar to the
motifs traditionally used in the hand-woven textiles of
Assam, the tree of life, and the myriad tribal patterns
of the east.’
They added, ‘Varanasi weavers have learnt to
weave the Assamese border on organza and silk sarees.
The designs are normally restricted to the length of
a mekhela sador or a dokhona. Weaving them on longer
and wider fabric with zari from Surat and Banarasi
silk gave us the opportunity to adapt and enhance
these designs specific to the different weaving clusters
across India.’

‘Taatini’ means ‘woman weaver’ in

Assamese and ‘river’ in Sanskrit.

A Revival

The duo reveals that they are reviving intricate

designs in their sarees. ‘With urbanisation we are

slowly losing our tribal heritage and crafts. Many

of the old motifs and intricate weaves are no longer

being woven. Tribal design is unique in comparison to

other patterns found in sarees. We hope to showcase

this minimalistic yet dramatic art form on the

canvas of sarees. We envision tribal designs, be it the

Phulmwabla of the Bodo’s or the stripes of the Hajong

tribe to be adorned by women all over India.’ They

also feel that it is time to give weavers their due. ‘We

have such depth in the textiles of the Northeast. From

the silk farmer to the vegetable dye artisans to the

weaver, it is not an easy profession, and we tend to

take it for granted.’

Of course, in a market, saturated with sarees,

it hasn’t been easy for the duo. ‘Sustainable fashion

by nature is slow. To do justice to each hand-crafted

element and process is time consuming. As a result,

the volume is low and price points are higher, which

makes you a niche product. However, with awareness

increasing and consumers caring about the products

they spend money on, we are noticing a rising interest

in this area.’

In the future, they hope to continue taking Eri to

the world. ‘We are working with different weaving

clusters and craft communities across India, to bring

a blend of tribal art and crafts with the aesthetics or

natural yarns of Assam. We are also collaborating with

weaving clusters and NGO’s to translate our dream of

making beautiful weaves for beautiful souls.’

For more info, visit http://www.facebook.com/taatini.india

or http://www.instagram.com/taatini.india/