Fine Batik on Fine Maheshwari ‘The Parvai Way’

Every new product Parvai produces is a result of months of planning, designing, prototyping & eventually production. Last year, we experimented with pure silk dupattas producing a range of prototypes. Some of these were even shipped to a few patrons for them to try. Once we were satisfied with the efforts, we began a commissioned a dupatta loom at Maheshwar. We are happy to share that this loom is operated by women weavers and we began producing our silk dupattas early this year.
Initially we woven a few solid colours but later started to think of possibility of the dupatta being enhanced with a craft technique. Ane Thomas, our Design Head started working on ideas and we narrowed down on batik. The idea was to explore simple floral motifs like those found in inlay work. The motifs were finalised and a design proposal was made.

(Freehand designs by Ane Thomas - Design Head, Parvai)

We then sat down with Deepa Rajendra, an artist who practices fine batik, to discuss how this could be implemented. Batik is traditionally practiced on cotton since silk can be hard to absorb dyes. But we were very sure we wanted this project to be something different. We convinced Deepa to try our silks and thus began a new chapter of prototyping.
Once Deepa received & reviewed the base fabrics, we finalised the design brief and Deepa began working on the dupattas. The first swatches had issues with dyes and Deepa had to tweak the dyes to suit the texture of pure Maheshwar silk. Since silk fibres behave very differently from cotton, Deepa had to use canting to layer the dupattas with wax on either side. Another major difference here is the fact that artists use brushes to paint fine batik and no dip-dyeing is done. You can read about the fine batik process here
After months of meticulous planning, the first prototypes were executed as per our briefs and shipped to India for quality checks. From the type of dyes used to the way the colour is fixed, every little detail about the fine batik process is different from commercial, textile batik. While commercial batiks are notorious for colour runs, fine batik techniques of fixing colours at every step ensure the colours stand out and stay bright with wash. Our experiments are far from over, in fact, they have just begun.
Every time we visit a textile museum at gaze at the fabrics on display, we realise these heritage looms have stood the test of time since the base materials use pure cotton, silk or zari. It is the purity of the base material that lends the life to the fabric. Usage of poor-quality bases lead to craft dilution & a material that is likely to fall apart soon. Hence, right from the start we have gone out of the way to ensure we source high quality materials.
And when it comes to craft enhancements, we like to take the road less travelled, choosing craft process & people with care. We only work with people who have the ability to explore new ideas & yet understand their craft thoroughly.

What makes a Parvai project unique?

• a. We do not produce mindlessly to cater to market trends. We invest in product development and create a demand for the products we truly believe deserve shelf space.
• b. We work with the best – from base material to talent. It is this cocktail that helps us bring the best for our patrons.
• c. We test & learn from our ideas & experiments. We are not shy to fail and we invest in product development.
• d. We work to build something that will be relevant a few decades from now and not something that runs the risk of becoming irrelevant next week.
• e. We work with our patrons to share the little knowledge we have to ensure they evolve with us. As they grow, we do too.