Sadly , the Madras plaid is such a timeless part of South Indian sensibilities, thanks to its usage in pattu saris, that it's more of a traditional insignia for them. Those who've grown up on a staple of check shirts and check langajackets don't want to see another of those print in their lives. "I did a collection in Uppada silks. Fact is, in the traditional realm, Madras check is not as popular among young Indians as it is among those in the West. And so, when the brands abroad make funky attire, it sells like hot cakes, but not a check sari," says stylist Gaurang Shah. These Indian plaids are often associated with lungis, which does not seem to cut ice with the younger generation.Adds stylist Rehane, who has included Madras checks as part of her collections over the year, "Checks are my favourite. What started off as a pattern for hand kerchiefs, has undergone a sea change over the years, and the fabric is also better now. But not many find checks attractive. People usually associate checks with tablecloth. Back in those days, women wore Kanchipuram silk in checks -it was a trend.Now, after many years, I've seen a resurgence of this trend. There are quirky inspirations of the lungi, and check saris and blouses are gaining popularity ."
But since the unsung is always hero, especially when it comes to fashion, the Madras plaid has always been an object of fascination as the exotic East element for the Englishmen, who incidentally , were also the ones who discovered it, and exported it to the world.Deborah Thiagarajan, from Dakshina Chitra museum, explains the origins, "Real Madras handkerchief was a 36-inch square of checked loomed fabric, mainly exported to Nigeria. We began exporting it in the 1990s to England, which was then sent to Nigeria. It was one of our major exports during that time. While the exports saw a drop in between, it picked up a couple of decades later. Then, it saw a transformation through Tamil Nadu lungis. It has seen several revivals since then."
Stylist Aneeth Arora, who's worked on Madras check-inspired collection in 2013, says, "Checks is not defined by trends. I have studied vintage cultural clothing, both, from India and world over, and the plaids have always been there. Be it a kurti from Sindh, or a jacket from Afghanistan, there are checks. It is the simplest pattern they could achieve on the loom. It is versatile, not too ethnic, not too modern, not too classic. It's a basic piece of fabric, and that's what gives it the appeal. The one good change that Madras fabrics have seen over the years is that the bleeding colours have been replaced with fast ones to cater to international market."
HOW MADRAS CHECKS BECAME POPULAR
Madras checks are actually India's first marks of colonisation. Madras, then called Madrasapatnam, was a sleepy fishing village in 1612, when the first European traders set foot. They established a trading post, and the Dutch, started trading in the local calico cloth. In 1626, the English came to a place then called Armagon, looking for stuff to trade in. They started exploring down the coast, and soon came upon a place that used wooden blocks to print colourful, fine muslin cloth -Madrasapatnam. Francis Day of the East India Company was helming this exploration, and he promptly approached the local ruler for permission to establish a trading post. On 22 August, 1639, he was granted permission, and thus started the trading outpost of Madras.Soon, the Englishmen started attracting weavers and merchants by promising them excellent profits, and within a year, about 500 families of weavers had permanently settled in Madras, all of them making Madras checks. This fabric became popular among the British in India who then started taking it back home.And the British Empire was hooked to Madras checks.
When the Madras checks first started being made, they were small square pieces of cloth. The British started exporting them as merchandise, to their other colonies, to African countries and the Middle East as a chief trade item. It became an `Injiri', meaning `Real India' item in Nigeria. Even now, the Real Madras Hand Kerchief (RMHK) is a symbol of Kalabari (in Nigeria) identity. The cloth, originally acquired through trade, links contemporary Kalabari to their ances tors, recalling their trading skills, their con nection to the spirit world, and their commitment to a life well-lived. RMHK plays an important role in the life cycle of the Kalabari. A newborn child is given a piece of Madras by its father and it is worn by young women in coming of age ceremonies.Chiefs and members of the Ekine Society (referring to the dancing people of Ijo, a tribe in west coast of Africa) also wear RMHK as part of their ceremonial dress and finally, the cloth is used to decorate the funeral room and bed of a deceased elder.
MADRAS PLAID: INTERESTING FACTS
Madras shirts were available in 1897, and even the New York Times mentioned a Madras shirt shortage in November 1919.
The tartan design of the Madras checks probably came about with the visit of King George IV to Scotland in 1822. It influenced the British in India, who asked for tartan blocks to be incorporated into Madras checks. At the Harris Museum in Preston, Lancashire, there are two swatches of Madras fabric dated 1866; one is a tartan and the other, modern day Madras check.
Yet another theory is that when the East India Company set itself up in Madraspatnam, it was the Scottish regiment 78th Highlanders that acted as the `peacekeeping force'. And so, the Scottish Tartan influenced the birth of the Madras check.
During the 1930s, it was the craze of American tourists holidaying in humid places like the Caribbean. And then, the Madras check became a mark of being wealthy, since only those who could afford these expensive holidays could buy them.
In 1958, a leading American textile importer, William Jacobson, came to Bombay in the hopes of returning with vastyardages of this exotic fabric from India.
The vibrant, earthy hues of the Madras checks were linked to exotic `Indian summer' and in the early 18th and 19th century, were the favourites with young brides in West Africa, Gold Coast and Ghana who'd have their wedding gowns tailored with the fabric.
No comments:
Post a Comment