The weaves are now spiked with understated colours, the textures are softer, sexier, the designs minimalistic, and the styles many and myriad: Wrap-around skirts, short-sleeved tops, spaghetti kurtis, reversible jackets — all in handloom weaves.

Handloom is weaving a beautiful new story at the ongoing AIFW A/W 2016. But they get the hang of it. The trade has changed and handloom has shrugged off its ornamental, rustic look.Anavila goes on, “We have to change with time and keep pace with the modern day consumer. Innovation in silhouettes via textiles is beginning to drive the sustainable fashion agenda forward and exciting things are happening. Watching the dozen men/women at the looms is mesmerising: they work with extraordinary precision, weaving complex checks and stripes for the modern consumer. I feel fabulous. No longer are sustainability and social responsibility a token extra or cynical marketing ploy. It makes us all more peaceful and keeps everything balanced. The evolution of handlooms has not only helped magnify the reach of the design repertoire of our country but has brought about so many innovations artificial fur fabric wholesale that are not only refreshing but also awe-inspiring! It’s incredible how these handlooms and handwoven textiles have transcended time and technological changes and continue to be as relevant today as they were hundreds of years ago. You stay focused on what’s really important. The textiles are soft because they are hand-woven and most of the weavers are experts in saris in a single loom. We are conscious about what we are putting out on the ramp; we are conscious that the world likes edgy elements and we are conscious that the world loves speaking the language of individuality. The smartest brands are the ones taking full responsibility for every step of the process, from the supplier to the maker — and in some cases the aftercare of the product too.”Designer interest, wearability and affordability have turned it into a chic option.

Talking about her visit to the capital, Malaika said, “It’s always wonderful to be in Delhi.Handloom is weaving a beautiful new story at the ongoing AIFW A/W 2016. I am also a person who digs the comfort quotient.Lastly, designer duo Hemant and Nandita conclude, “We feel that it is this forward thinking sense of adaptability and acceptance of change that has sustained the textile heritage of our country. For me, it’s more about promoting the idea of making clothes that take a long time to make, and that you keep for a long time. He fine-tuned his fashion vocabulary as a child, watching items that were bartered to utensil sellers, growing veggies in the backyard and watching his mother stitch old clothes together to recycle them in the best possible way. It’s important for me to know where things are coming from and where they’re being produced. When people talk about us and sustainability, they say that it’s because we hand-weave and we don’t use electricity. It is a simple ball game. It’s part of the business.

“We have a strong textile landscape in terms of silhouettes as well as a handloom language and the world takes inspiration from us; so it was only a matter of a few years that we took ourselves seriously and went back to our strong roots, ” she says and emphasises the rising level of acceptability of Indian weaves in the modern world saying, “It’s the whole mood that’s building up right now, not only in fashion but in every aspect of life itself.” Talking about working closely with weavers and the challenges she faces while making them work beyond creating saris, she explains, “Hand-weaving is a job at the top of the production tree.” She was seen wearing a spaghetti-strapped gown with intricately designed golden thread work. The core aesthetic, design patterns and motifs have, in fact, become such major trends internationally — from ikat to zari — that we here in India should celebrate this with our own modern vision.” About her personal style, she added, “I am quite feminine and love wearing feminine outfits. If you were going to spend money on an item of clothing, he thought, it should feel different. I’ve always been interested in sustainability since I was a student. The modern day consumer wants to know where the garments are coming from, where they’re being produced, the kind of treatment they go through, the genesis of the fabric, etc. It is more like when you touch the fabric, you want to show it to somebody else and say, ‘Touch this.