My entry for the Wool Runway 2018, India, envisioned a sustainable, Merino wool alternative to the traditional cotton denim. It was targeted for a Millennial consumer of the premium streetwear and denim brand, Diesel. Street and military influences were reimagined with indigenous sensibilities and a bohemian flair, to help create a brave and individualistic look for the cosmopolitan man.
Left: Photographed by Vogue India in 2018. Right: Photographed by Hiteshi Sihag.
The word ‘denim’ is descended from ‘serge de Nimes’, which represented a thick twilled fabric in wool and silk, woven in the French city of Nimes in 16th and 17th centuries.
Wool denim was handwoven in the village of Sarli, Kachchh - a traditional weaving centre for wool.
Wool denim is light, soft, durable, breathable, wrinkle free and stretchable.
Wool is anti-bacterial, odour and dirt resistant. Hence, wool denim stays fresher for longer and is more environment friendly.
The naturally dyed, wool-silk ‘serge de Nimes’ was block printed by hand, using khadi – a thick white paste used to print on darker fabrics. The print was a symbiosis of Australian Aboriginal art and the hand block printing craft of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The fabric was also rhythmically embellished with small mirrors, inspired from the folk, hand embroidered textiles of Kachchh.
The print repeat for the block was digitally developed on NedGraphics, which was then carved out by the craftsman.
The fabric for the bundi – a native Kachchhi vest, was an exploration of self-made textures; high twist cotton yarns were woven in the Merino wool warp, which when wetted created the rippled look. It was inspired by Uluru, a massive sandstone monolith in central Australia sacred to the local Aboriginal peoples.
‘Bundi’ a.k.a the ‘indigenous t-shirt’ was constructed by first stitching the fabric into a tubular sack, followed by cutting out of armholes and neckline. The side seams were eliminated in the process, and the grain of the fabric ran diagonally, which yielded better drape and comfort.
Lastly, the hybrid bomber-trucker jacket (Left) and cargo-jeans (Right) with frayed hems, completed the versatile and youthful look for the multitasking, hyperactive Millennial.
