Reusable fabrics already possess a kind of quiet luxury. The challenge is not to make them look expensive, but to allow their inherent qualities to become part of the design language.
Look at the hand-feel, fall and breathability of a fabric and then build craftsmanship around those qualities. Fine handwork, delicate embroidery, considered finishing and beautiful tailoring can transform something as familiar as cotton or mul into something incredibly refined.
The entire design process changes when a garment is designed to be worn repeatedly rather than saved for a wedding or major occasion. The weight becomes important. The embroidery needs to be considered. The silhouette needs to offer versatility, and the construction needs to withstand repeated wear without compromising its beauty.
We also think about how the garment can be styled differently. A piece should ideally have more than one life—worn traditionally for one occasion, styled more minimally for another, or paired with something completely unexpected.
There are two parts to this- one trend and other comfort. Comfort, was always a deciding factor, but one that always takes a back seat to trend. Now the trend is backing comfort, so the move feels natural.
A piece of garment should last a lifetime, that marks its good construction: as a fabric and as a garment. At Jiwya, this starts from material level, ensuring only unbleached plant-fibres are used to make yarns, only handloom fabric constructions are used, and garment construction is simple-no visible stitch/hems should be present. So, each silhouette-simple or complex, is tailored to withstand at least 30 wears. This is how we achieve tailored appeal.
What is a relaxed structure: a marketing position started by colonial textile makers to take away the work from Indian handlooms to British power looms. The consumer of a warming world feels even more warm in a synthetic garment. Of course, the affluent are capitalising this situation to re-market handlooms as true luxury. The economic reality of it is handlooms and natural fibres have suffered since the industrial revolution to this day in terms of market value, low subsidies and dying clusters. So those who still practice it are lesser, driving up the time commitment to it and hence the higher base economic value.
Read the full story that first appeared in Jupiter Groundworks here:
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