Today on the blog, we feature Abhilasha Trivedi, embroidery revivalist and founder of Woven Traditions, Lucknow. Her story…

Tell us a bit about yourself.

A creative forever learning mom of two presently having a home in Mumbai & Lucknow. Primarily I work with fashion houses in Mumbai but through a few events I connect directly with end users. The magic that one can do with 32 stitches on a fabric is called ‘Chikankari’. Lucknow is a city often remembered for its tehzeeb, history and fine arts. I was fortunate to be born and brought up in this city which is teeming with beauty. It remains to be the centre of my existence and the existence of my venture. And offering a slice of Lucknow to the world through my brand, ‘Woven Traditions’ continues to be a very fulfilling experience for me.

How did you begin ‘Woven Traditions’ and how has it evolved over the years?

Chikan was being produced and sold in Lucknow on ‘run of the mill’ basis. It was not in sync with today’s world. I had a beautiful chanderi saree sitting in my cupboard for years, on which I wanted to get Chikankari work done. There were none who were willing to work on my designing concept & colours. Obviously because they were so used to working within their fixed patterns and fabrics. They were just refusing to think beyond that. My tiring escapade came to an end with me taking upon myself to finish the saree as per my imagination & concept. I had a basic idea of the process. Thanks to the summer courses and a couple of workshops at a nearby Women’s Polytechnic, on the art of Chikankari, taken during my growing years, due to my mother’s constant nagging, I was not completely clueless today! Farida, a house help at my mother’s house offered to help. She worked partime at a Chikankari Centre in the evenings. A widow with 3 kids, working hard to make ends meet. It was during the times Farida and I sat down working on the saree I settled on a plan of starting my own workshop. A place where I would create as per my instinct.

Now when you are working with an artisan or karigar, you have to solve their problems first. I started getting in touch with women karigars, specially widows who were in need of support. These were talented people bogged down by existential problems. Once i helped them sorting those out the artisans were mentally at peace to work and create. Now I have a workshop of 22 karigars. A small workforce which is creating exclusive Chikankari fabrics, the kinds of which you will not find in the markets of Lucknow.

Why is making so important to you?

‘Making’ is an expression for me. The world around us is expressing continuously. For a girl in UP, born in early 70s, expression was not easy. I was always inclined to arts, clothing in particular. In the clothing industry, some artisans are expressing through threads and weaving, some through painting and dyeing. I was facilitating a collaboration amongst these art forms and creating something unique. It was gratifying and I met a lot of interesting people who thought like me. Expressing and transacting with people on this level turned out to be the fundamental purpose that keeps me engaged to ‘making’

Tell us bout your artisans & work space.

The literacy rate of women in UP was very low leaving them at the mercy of the male population. The majority of the Lucknow chikankari artisans are women practicing purdah and do not move out of their homes. Chikankari gave them a feeling of self worth & financial independence. This craft has well defined gender specific roles. Men do the tailoring, printing and laundering while embroidery is predominantly women’s work. We do have a workplace but a majority of these women take work home and work at their convenience.

Describe your creative process.

My creative process begins with buying of fabric, for which I try and visit weavers directly as I work only on handwoven pure fabrics. After this the fabric is taken for printing of designs on them with wooden blocks. Once the fabric has the markings it goes to the various karigars. The longer fabrics like sarees & lehengas are clipped on to an adda which is a big frame for multiple people to work on. Once the work is done the fabric goes for washing and after the washing various other add on work is done like baadla, aari, kasab and fardi.

What is currently on your work table?

A linen saree which is work in progress. I know you wouldn’t have seen one. Even i’m curious to see how it turns out as I haven’t seen one also.

What is your personal favorite pick from your brand right now? And why?

Every piece that I create is special to me since it is in some way my expression. Presently, is a saree we made which left all of us elated and overjoyed, when it was completed. It looked much more beautiful than what any of us had imagined. The highlight is the fabric of the saree which is woven in 2 different weaves. While the length of the saree is a Bhagalpur Tussar weave the pallu is a Matka silk weave with intricate handcrafted Chikankari all over.

What are you displaying at the By Hand, From The Heart.

I’m displaying a curated collection of Kurtis, Sarees, Dupattas, Kurta fabrics, Potlis and Palazzos.

Meet the Maker @
25th edition:  By Hand From The Heart Makers Market
8 – 9 – February 2019 | Friday – Saturday | 10 a.m – 9 p.m
Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park, (old Adyar Gate Hotel)
132, T.T.K Road, Alwarpet, Chennai – 600018, India.

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