In This Thread: India in Fashion

Fabric of the world, a long anticipated project, and big batik plans.

Last January, in a fury of inspiration to learn all there was to know about fashion history, I went to the library on a very cold Friday night and checked out as many books as I could carry, covering topics like denim, Japanese street style, menswear of the last century, and a few sewing technique books. I had a vision of getting cozy in bed with a mug of tea, a glass of wine, and this pile of books surrounding me, staying up all night to read them.

I laid down in my bed full of books and promptly fell asleep. The weekend gave way to other plans, and before I knew it, they were all due back to the library. I sat in the car outside the library with my stack, waiting for the wind to stop howling so I could make a dash for the book return. I sighed at the unread pile next to me, thinking that sometimes the charm of books is just having them around to inspire. I pulled the top book from the pile to page through before going out into the cold. It was a complete explosion of color and beauty, full-page photos and sketches, close-up details of textiles, and I wished I’d opened it sooner! I returned everything but decided that when I had more time to devote to reading a coffee table book, I’d come back for it.

That story is the seed that sprouted the In This Thread project itself. Better to read one book at a time for a length of time than try to read so many I don’t read any. And this month I’m featuring the beautiful book of color that had me so captivated in the car: India in Fashion: The Impact of Indian Dress and Textiles on the Fashionable Imagination. Sounds like poetry to my ears!

My previous study of denim didn’t cover anything about the history of the indigo plant or its use as a textile dye, though it could have been interesting foreshadowing. Indigo comes from the Greek word indikon, meaning “Indian dye” or “from India.” I knew at the time I was wrapping up that project that this one would be next, so I’ve saved the details of the indigo dye process and history for this month.

India in Fashion is the companion to a museum exhibition, and it reads like a highly informative textbook. I accept that I won’t finish the entire thing, for that would entirely take the fun out of this project (I’m a slow reader!). Even so, I plan to use the book as my guide this month, and the following selection of chapters as my roadmap for discovery:
Week 1: Indian Embroidery in Fashion & A Brief History of Saris
Week 2: Wearing a Garden and Weaving Air: Fashion in the Mughal Empire
Week 3: The Imaginary India of Yves Saint Laurent, The Long Shadow of Muslin, & Indigo Dye
Week 4: Designer Profiles; there are several designers listed, many of whom I’ve heard of and even more I don’t know. I’ll highlight a TBD selection!

And of course, there will be projects! Anticipating that India in Fashion was an upcoming study, I picked up a few books on batik dyeing at a garage sale, and even scored a frame that I *believe* is for stretching fabric and holding tension during the painting and dyeing process. I’m not very experienced in dyeing and even less so in painting, but I am excited to get my hands dirty and learn something new. If I learn even a modicum of how to wield these tools, I’ll host a craft gathering for anyone interested in trying it out (SUBJECT TO CHANGE LOL). If there is interest and batik proves too cumbersome, an indigo dye workshop might be a safe backup plan!

The other project I want to try is a Nehru vest. I don’t have much experience drafting patterns for menswear, but I have the perfect person in my life to practice with, and he’s hinted at wanting a custom vest.

I’m looking forward to delving in and sharing what I learn in the coming days. For now, let’s admire the décor taste of a past client, who hired me during the pandemic to make custom curtains for her cabinet using this beautiful sari.

Till next time!
Abbie