About Book
The sari is the most representative apparel of India, worn in a variety of ways. The sari is a fabric-length of varying densities in its body, borders and end pieces often woven by combining a range of cottons and silks in colours and patterns that are constantly evolving. 'Saris of India' is an exhaustive overview of this fascinating unstitched garment and a cutting-edge documentation of design and all that supports it socially, culturally and economically. Travelling district-by-district, village-byvillage, the book explores an entire spectrum of traditional weaver and printer settlements in fourteen sari-producing states of India. Thus emerges the first comprehensive compilation of the whole range and scale of the sari: the structures, designs, colours, the format and technology that make up the lingua of the sari. For the first time, this book offers a step-by-step guide for at least 108 ways of draping the sari, through a series of line drawings and colour photographs. A vivid account of how saris come into being for the lay reader and the specialist - be they textilists, designers, scholars or developers who will find this book equally engaging.
About Author
Rta Kapur Chishti is the co-author and editor of the previously published 'Saris of India' volumes on Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, as well as 'Handcrafted Indian Textiles - Tradition and Beyond'. She has been a contributing author to several other publications. As a writer and translator, she has written about the life and work of craftspersons and scripted for films and exhibitions. She has been consistently involved with research and development of handspun-handloom textiles. She is the founder of the 'Sari School' which produces saris and organises workshops and private classes for those who wish to learn the wonders of this unstitched garment and make it more relevant to their lives today. Martand Singh is the Chairman of INTACH U.K. Trust (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage). He was the Director of Calico Museum of Textiles, and initiator and curator of the Vishvakarma series of exhibitions. He has inspired a generation of scholars, textile artists, designers, craftspersons and students to develop their latent talents to create the finest in design, technique and aesthetics in the contemporary context. His evolved understanding and worldwide exposure have compelled him to strive for excellence in numerous projects he has undertaken. He has worked extensively in the field of handlooms in India for which he has been awarded the Padma Bhushan.