Master Of Weaves – Gaurang Shah
The name Gaurang is synonymous with hand-crafted textile art. Gaurang Shah, fondly known as the master of weaves by his peers is a household name for his high-end jamdani sarees and outfits. Dating back to 2001, when Indian handlooms were fading into oblivion, at a time when weavers were mired in debt traps, uncertainty and hunger deaths, Gaurang took up the challenge of reviving the traditional handlooms and bringing them back in vogue.
Gaurang Shah started his journey of reviving handwoven textiles with a few looms in Andhra Pradesh, and today works with over 700 weavers across India in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal reviving the traditional weaving technique of “Jamdani”.
Jamdani, a discontinuous extra weft technique of weaving takes no help from machinery. A hand drawn artwork design is kept under the warp in the loom, and is replicated by the weaver to the finest details. It is almost like Parsi embroidery done on the loom.
Floral and geometrics drawn from the nature are the hallmark of his creations. In Kanjeevaram, the Korvai weaving technique on the jacquard loom is revived with traditional motifs inspired by the temple art of the 16th century. The intricacy of a design which was hitherto possible only in print and embroidery has been materialised into weaves.
Immense care is taken to preserve and accentuate the aesthetic appeal of its beautiful textures. Yarns like khadi, cotton, silk, muga, tussar, organza are infused together to create varied textures to give a contemporary feel and make them more drapeable.
Niche woven textiles like Khadi, Uppada, Paithani, Kanjeevaram, Benarasi, Patan Patola, Kota are created. Gaurang is a self-taught designer who had belief in the Indian textile art and a passion to bring the weavers on the forefront. He has been meticulously working with weavers, and encouraging them to make textiles that are at par with the global fashion scenario.
Gaurang has showcased at eight seasons of Lakme fashion week, Berlin fashion week and has done private shows in India and abroad including a show at the IIFA awards in 2015. He has styled Kirron Kher for her appearance in India’s Got Talent for 3 seasons and also for her movie Khoobsurat in 2014.
Celebrities like Vidya Balan, Kangana Ranaut, Sonam Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore, Tapsee Pannu to name a few vouch for his handcrafted creations.
Gaurang retails through his flagship stores in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and New Delhi. In Mumbai he retails under the name ‘Vaya’.
