India’s new crop of textile designers is thrilling to the joys of innovation and intervention through cross-cultural opportunities.

One of the most exciting adventures in this arena has been the foray of such intrepid designers who have looped into the ancient Japanese resist-dyeing technique of Shibori in textile design. 

India herself has a formidable repertoire of textile design which has been reliant on the resist-dyeing technique for its beauty, longevity and high popularity. We have a centuries-old cherished history of “resist” dyeing techniques, which the common man or woman for that matter encounters as ikat and tie-dye fabrics— think Bandhej/Bandhani, Ajrakh and Ikat. From Sanganer and Bagru in Rajasthan to Sambalpur, Cuttack and Bargarh in Odisha, from Pochampalli in Telegana to Patan in Gujarat, skilled artisans have with their ancestral crafts left an indelible mark of India’s textile traditions.

As Ruchira Ghose, Former Director, Crafts Museum, New Delhi very succinctly describes it: “Resist Dyeing of cloth is patterning done by dyeing after sections of the cloth have been reserved. This can be achieved by two very different methods. The first involves some kind of manipulation of cloth - whether tying, stitching, folding or wrapping. The second is done with materials like wax or mud, which are applied to the cloth according to the design to restrict the absorption of colour. In more complex versions, the cloth is dyed in several colours in sequence, with different portions reserved each time, to produce a multi-coloured pattern.”

Ikat and tie-dye are fine examples of both these techniques, which require mechanical blocking of the dye plant-based through tying or binding the textile.

For the distinctive ikat format the threads are bunched together, tied in a certain way, and dyed, before being woven to create those beautifully complex patterns. Tie-and dye, involves sections of the finished fabric being tied up and then dyed. There are three main types of ikat – warp, weft, and double ikat.

Rooted in the ancient tradition of textile design in China, Japan’s Shibori, or resist-dyeing technique, involves folding, twisting, and binding fabric before it is dyed.  The Japanese artisan has, however, taken the Chinese version and reinterpreted it with its own unique take to create the most imaginative work in textiles. 

There are six principal techniques employed by the Japanese artisan to achieve these incredible resist-dyeing, blurry-edged organic patterns; this includes Kanoko Shibori (or the bound-resist technique), Kumo Shibori (Spiderweb Shibori); Arashi Shibori (Pole Wrapping Shibori); Itajime Shibori (Clamp Dyeing Shibori); Nui Shibori (Stitched Shibori) and Miura Shibori (Looped Binding Shibori). The templates are indicative of the methodology that has been followed for the distinctive outcomes, in terms of the patterns and look of the fabric. 

What is pure delight for the artisan is that it is Shibori’s incredible versatility, where the techniques are concerned, which gives rein to their creative powers in terms of colours and patterns and designs. While nature-inspired motifs form a large part of its beauty, Shibori is equally informed by graphic and linear designs. 

Contemporary Indian textile art expressions have served as an excellent canvas to bring India and Japan together to merge these cross-cultural traditions in the most incredible way. Gathering up the elegance of Shibori and transmuting it with the vibrancy of India hues has created an exciting new script for resist-dyeing textiles in India.

These painstaking, time consuming and extremely skill-intensive processes, all done by hand, are quietly finding their way back from the brink of extinction. With fashionistas leading the slow fashion movement, the fusion of Shibori and tie-and-dye (with their eco-friendly attributes) heralds a resurgence in eco-conscious lifestyle choices that are very much in sync with the times. 

If brands Stella McCartney and Issey Miyake have been showcasing Shibori-inspired pieces our Indian designers are not far behind.

Kolkata-based designer Nupur Kanoi hails from Rajasthan. She has delved deep into the state’s ancient tie and dye traditions, and the artisanal skills from Bhuj (Gujarat), to amalgamate them with the dynamic techniques of Shibori to create an enviable range of apparel including wrap dresses, kurtas, kaftans, kimono dresses and jumpsuits et al.

Duhieta is the Cuttack-based dreamchild of Arpita Panda Ratho, who started out as an Engineering graduate. Arpita dips deep into Odisha’s incredible textile traditions to firm up the luxurious Shibori Gopalpuri Tussar saree collection. This enchanting offering incorporates the ancient Japanese Shibori technique brought to life by its skilled weavers from Gopalpur.

One can also explore the wide range of Pune -based Maskalee which sells sarees, dupattas, stoles and shawls and has experimented with Shibori traditions. This one-stop shop has an amazing collection of Bandhani, Kantha, Madhubani, Kalamkari, Ikat, Patola, Thread Embroidery, Phulkari, Paithani, Lucknowi, Aari, Sozni, Pashminas et al as a salute to India’s fabled handcrafted textile traditions.

Abdul Aziz Khatri from Bhuj, Kutch, began innovating on the traditional classics of Bandhej. He now creates stitched as well as folded and clamped Shibori. His “Itajime” designs are complex patterns created by folding and clamping the cloth innumerable times and dyeing it in successive dye baths.

Sustainable Indian brand Amar Kosa, which works in ethically sourced natural handloom fabrics like cotton, linen, hemp, flax, silks, and even organic cotton, experiments with hand block printing, Shibori, and traditional Indian Tie & Dye techniques. You can explore their Shibori collection online or at the store in Bangalore.

With eco-conscious consumption turning the gaze away from ‘fast fashion’, the fusion of Shibori and India’s tie and dye, ikat and ajrakh techniques is slowly finding a place in the fashionista’s wardrobe. Time for you to wake up and join the game…