Connecting Threads

I want to share my thoughts on how I liked the way the session began on a personal note. I never really had a ‘Favorite piece of cloth’ as such. So when asked to bring one, it made me wonder what my favorite piece of cloth was and WHY? Thence began the reading of cloth. I was amazed at how my mind went on a spiral of thoughts when I narrowed down to my favorite piece of cloth, which was a mal cotton ,tie and dyed stole that I had done a few years back. 

 I began to question WHY I like it. HOW do I like it? WHAT do I like in it? Which aspect of the cloth I like?

Why I like this piece of cloth is obvious, because I went through a design process to arrive at the final piece. It brings back a memory that I thoroughly enjoyed. What I like in it is again personal. the hues are two of my favorite and I consciously chose the colours I like,hence. The aspect of the cloth that I like the most is that as I analyzed it closer, I found many mistakes in the execution that I wouldn't have noticed if not for the activity. Now I know where I tend to fray and what I need to work on. For the question, 'how?' , my answer is abstract because, I know the history of this cloth, I saw it become a product, so that is how I like it. 

As the discussion of each person’s favorite cloth began, I learned the difference between two similar but inherently different textiles. For example the Chanderi and Maheswari silk. Though the fabric is the same with a few technical differences, they are ethnographically, socially and historically different. The motifs used are identities from their respective pasts and hence it becomes distinct to that particular region or place, to further understand the connection between textile and its particular region, it is important to know WHY it is produced. It could be for various purposes like religious, ceremonial, commercial etc.

Why do people replicate on cloth?

There are several reasons why people replicate on cloth. One could be continuity of the tradition. But the biggest reason is Identity. It could be to mark their identity as a member of a particular community or their identity as a particular crafts-person of a region. It’s a cultural marker. I feel that one of the things that are taken for granted the most is Cloth. No one besides those involved in it really understands how intrinsically cloth is involved in our lives, trade etc. it is intellectual. It is an identity and has been an identity throughout history. A classic example is the Kente cloth from Africa which shows the status of the person who wears it. Another example is closer home, the Sari. The Sari can be safely called the traditional clothing of India. Each region has a way of draping the Sari. This sets their identity apart. So when one looks at the way the cloth is draped on a person, we get and image of where they are from and a fragment of who they are. Cloth can tell you who you are!

By the end of the lecture, I not only realized cloth is something that sets our identity apart, but also something that gives each individual a sense of belonging to a particular region. It really is amazing, how cloth can be so many things!