Your sari shuttle service

Handpainted motifs on a sari using the three-shuttle weaving technique

Summer's here, and it's a good time to make a shift to the handwoven fabric. While scouting for options to keep us cool during the sweltering months, we came across creations by corporate lawyer-turned-textile designer, Vinay Narkar, who has been working with the weavers of Gadwal, a small town in Andhra Pradesh.

Handpainted motifs on a sari using the three-shuttle weaving technique

He offers a contemporary twist to the traditional Gadwal sari by processing the silk to make it softer and lighter. Narkar's collection, which will be showcased at ARTISANS', features a weaving technique called Kuttu (an interlocking technique that is also called the three-shuttle technique) that the Gadwal weavers specialise in.

The three shuttles allow weavers to create a solid body and contrast borders. The additions to the signature sari include elements of embroidery and paintings, originally created by Shubharai, an 18th century artist from Solapur, and later, replicated by the region's gen-next artists.

"The Kuttu technique involves two weavers working at the same time and is quite tedious. As a result, it's a rare practice. I search for those weavers who work with the technique in the remotest villages. The weavers now call me 'Kuttuwala Seth'," shares Narkar.