Madhu Jain talks about wooing Paris and her muse

She’s just showcased her rich and intriguing collection in the French capital and designer Madhu Jain, who’s known for being India’s leading craft revivalist, is raring to go. We got in touch with the ace designer to know more about her Parisian experience and her future plans.
Here are some excerpts from the interview:
Q1. You participated in the French European India Fashion Week held in Paris recently, what took you there and how was the experience?
It was an honour to be invited to showcase the greatness of India’s rich weaving tradition at the first-ever French European India Fashion Week in Paris.An initiative of our Prime Minister, the fashion week was part of a month-long cultural festival co-hosted by Namaste France, and to me it seemed the perfect global platform to show to the world India’s glorious handlooms legacy that is over 2,000 years old! Through my three decades of work with master weavers, I have been constantly innovating and developing new weaves by blending the weaving traditions from different Indian states. My aim has been to rejuvenate our handlooms sector by giving it the much-needed design interventions without which any craft can stagnate. So, yes, this seemed a great opportunity to represent the best of what Indian crafts have to offer to the world, and I took along clothes from my previous collections that represented a wide variety of weaves and embroidery.
Q2. Tell us something about your latest collection and the inspiration behind it.
Ikat, considered to be among the most ancient of weaves, is my muse, my passion. As is organic, natural fibres. Over the years I’ve been experimenting—rather fearlessly, if I may say so—with various combinations of Ikat from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Thailand, and most recently, Uzbekistan. Each region has its own distinctive Ikat style, and I absolutely fell in love with the grand sweep of Uzbeki weaves, and the exquisite, electrifying motifs. I did a great deal of R&D and worked with my master weavers in India to create a convergence of Indian and Uzbeki Ikat sensibilities until we were finally rewarded with a seamless blending of two cultures! Thus was born my latest collection. I see it as yet another gift from the Madhu Jain label to the world of weaves.
Q3. What was the response you received from the Parisian fashion enthusiasts?
The fashion week provided me with a good opportunity to re-connect with many of my friends who work with leading fashion houses in Europe. My clothes created a stir as the weaves and embroidery were real standouts. While Ikat predominated, I also took along some outfits from my personal archived collection. These are basically my favourite pieces from my own clothing line, and are my pride and joy as they exemplify hard work and mastery over the art of weaving. So, I incorporated flowy dresses with intricate Banni mirror work from Kutch, the ever-effervescent Banjara embroidery, Suf embroidery by displaced tribals living along the Kutch border, and two prized Kimkhwāb brocade weaves from Varanasi.
Q4. It's been a while since you showcased your collection at a fashion week in India. Why this abstinence from active participation in these shows?
I’m a craft revivalist and textile conservationist for whom the textile and its weave is king. For my kind of work then, ramp shows are underwhelming as they can never do justice to showcasing the intricacy of a weave and how the patterns have been derived through deft blending of threads that only a master weaver has the ability to make. My preference therefore lies in textile installations which allow the discerning eye to see the fabric up close and appreciate and recognize the hard work that goes into producing my line of textiles. Textiles demand a deeper scrutiny than is possible during a ramp show. Intricacy, detailing, and craftsmanship don’t show up too well on the ramp.
Q5. You were the first one to introduce bamboo fibre in India. How has been the journey like playing a revivalist in the Indian fashion industry?
I believe my niche specialisation as a textile revivalist is one that keeps me ahead of the race! All my textiles are developed in-house, thanks to my loyal band of master weavers who are unparalleled in their expertise. My very existence revolves around creating new weaves and motifs, to keep infusing fresh design sensibility into Indian textiles. Back when no one really appreciated handlooms, I stuck it out, regardless. Today, because of the work of people like us who have doggedly stuck to India’s indigenous textiles tradition, handlooms are witnessing a sort of renaissance! My self-belief and that of my weavers is finally paying off.
Q6. Your next big project?
As you know, I specialise in natural fibres and create my own weaves. My next big project shall be in the same vein. I have been working on developing a unique eco-friendly weave which I have been refining over the last few years. I am confident this is a textile that will become an inspiration for those who work in the natural fibres space. Watch out for it!