Young royals open up their palaces

With installations in iconic properties and a focus on circular fashion in India, the second edition of Karkhana Chronicles has its heart in the right place

A resplendent yellow Maheshwari sari made with the age old composition,garbh reshmi, is paired with a ‘jaal’ or a brocade blouse with floral motifs; a cape worn by the erstwhile royal Maharaja Yeshwantrao Holkar is recreated using a lining of four pedal textile, a technique that gives it its inimitable nubby feel. These two textile pieces are a part of an installation that celebrates the Maheshwari handloom. Created at the royal house of the Holkars in Maheshwar earlier this year, the installation is a collaboration between the Holkar family and textile designer Sanjay Garg. It is one of the four works on display in the second edition of The Karkhana Chronicles, a digital exhibition that went online on April 24. Initiated by The Refashion Hub, a collective that brings together multiple stakeholders from the textile industry on themes like wastewater reuse, it has begun a conversation on social equity and climate action through the lens of heritage crafts. Vincy Abraham of the collective says, “India has a history of sustainability ingrained in its textile practices that we must amplify. Karkhana Chronicles becomes even more crucial and relevant as a platform given the pandemic, as artisans are suffering a major loss of livelihoods.”