ABSTRACT
Our grandmothers tell us tales of a pre-division Punjab that was rife with production of fabrics like jacquard, chenille, and velvet, and home to techniques such as zardozi and gota. Was there then more to the Punjab fashion industry than the beautiful phulkaris, khes, and khadars that line the walls of museums today? Together, these practices were not only exclusive to royalty, but also appeased to trousseaus of young brides preparing for the events ahead. These claims are more than just conjecture to the author as she herself has access to such pieces of clothes from the 1930s to 1940s through familial ties. This paper will attempt to not only explore these claims by way of in-person interviews with the author’s family members with Punjabi roots, but also ask other important questions that explore what made said articles of clothing so precious that they survived an onslaught of sociopolitical and climate changes. To supplement these findings, the author will also seek to understand the erasure of such conversations from mainstream media and memory. How did the weaving of these fabrics feed into garment construction and pattern development? To answer such question, the paper will also acknowledge the role of Punjab as the seat of Mughal and Colonial influences and how that played into the motifs, the patterns and their placements, and their execution up to the division of India.
ABOUT AUTHOR
ANUPAMA DATT
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF ART AND DESIGN
Anupama Datt is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Fashion Design at the Indian Institute of Art & Design. Before making a move to the field of education, Anupama worked in fashion design & business for over two decades – from serving as Kalpana’s Chief Fashion Designer, to designing an exclusive range of bridal wear for Khazana by Taj, to running her own fashion label and supplying to multinational fashion houses. Anupama also received multiple awards at both, the amateur and professional level, like the Best Indian Outfit Designer Award, and Most Practical & Wearable Designer Award at the All India Amateur Fashion Designers’ Contest. In addition to teaching, Anupama is also pursuing a Master’s in Fashion Design simultaneously.
