From high fashion runways to viral Instagram posts — heirloom textile revival remains a hot topic, whether viewed from a sartorial or cultural lens. While much of this conversation revolves around fabrics favoured by erstwhile aristocracy — such as the regal Banarasi and Paithani weaves — little is documented about garments that adorned the everyday individuals of bygone eras. Even less chronicled is the textile legacy of Mumbai’s earliest inhabitants, like the East Indian lugra (once a quintessential part of the community’s cultural fabric) that is fading away from the memories and wardrobes of existing community members.

Fabric histories

Textile heritage chronicler Savitha Suri, co-organiser, shares that this session is part of an ongoing effort to revive the lugra, and spread awareness by sharing stories that it tucks into its chequered folds. “The lugra used to be commonly worn by women prior to the Anglicisation of the community and, by extension, of Mumbai. Today, barring a few elders residing in East Indian pockets like Uttan and Manor, the lugra has become a relic of the past. My research revealed that Bandra’s East Indians have no visual memory of even their grandmothers wearing lugras. The geographical proximity of these East Indian pockets to erstwhile Bombay has played an integral role in determining where this traditional textile was worn, and how soon it was given up,” she explains.