Handloom

About This Technique

A 2000 year old craft concentrated in rural areas, handloomed fabric is woven through a simple machine. With a wooden loom, the warp threads pass alternately through a heddle, and the spaces between. In this shuttle back and forth, the fabric woven gives a slightly looser weave. It is in this lower density that leaves a comfortable texture and soft handfeel that only deepens with each wear.

Handloom weavers are the single largest group of artisans in India, which has one of the richest traditions and variety of this craft. Each region has its own particular style of weaving using traditional designs and motifs – every weave no matter how small or ordinary has its own distinctive character. The advent of the power loom and other machine made textiles have threatened handspun and handloomed fabrics for over a century, but the handloom remains because of its versatile adaptation to community needs, where weaving is usually done in homes and collectives.

As we made our signature mark in prints and textiles, we knew we wanted to create a more subtle alternative. Our first handloomed series began with a range of plains – elusive in its woven patterns, the beauty of handloom is more obvious when you hold it close. Take note of the banding (also called ‘patta’) and colour gradience, these details are actually signals of rest pauses where the weaver has taken a break from the loom.

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