When was the last time you saw a dress and felt – I wish I could wear that dress? Or Why can’t there be 2 or 3 more such options so that all the cousins can wear the same style? Imagine getting the opportunity to design a dress the way you want to, chose a fabric of your choice. A unique and exclusive piece – as personal as it can get.
My maternal grandfather was in the textile business so I often heard him talk about fabrics however, I never understood the details but my Mom has a fair amount of knowledge. On Diwali last year she gave a beautiful dress material in Ajrak print and she said it was made with natural dyes. She is very particular about the fabric & she loved it. The print really caught my attention and made me curious. I started to read and gain some more information.
Ajrak is a unique form of block printing mostly found in vast deserts of Kutch in Gujarat and Sindh, Pakistan. Traditionally it’s made with natural dyes in the classic colours of red and blue on geometric patterns. Using the woodblock printing method where there are different wood blocks with designs already made, these blocks are then pressed on the fabric.
I wasn’t able to figure out how the name came into existence; however, some records say it came from Arabic word ‘Azrak’ meaning blue after the primary colour used in the craft while, some believe it comes from colloquial term aj-rakh meaning ‘keep it today’.
Coming back to the dress; my mother purchased it from an online website – Fabcurate. This is a unique online based platform which offers plethora of premium fabrics to choose from. As a matter of pride, they state that their artisans are fully trained and empowered to create crafts like – Kalamkari, Ikat, Ajrakh, Indigo, Tie & Dye, Dabu, Shibori, Banarasi, Bandhani, Batik, etc which reflect that royal Indian culture in their making.
My dress was neatly packed and turned out to be of great quality. The fact that my not-so-tech-savvy mom could place the order shows how easy the navigation on the website is! It’s become her favourite shopping destination when she wants to try different unstitched pieces. The website has multiple options – shop by design, by category (family function, festivals etc.), Men’s collection, Unstitched options etc.
So, the wait is over. It’s time to get your dream designer dress. The choice is with you. Get your favourite design printed on the fabric of your choice to create something totally unique & exclusive.
We saved the best news for the end. There is No Minimum Quantity Limit! Read it again to believe it!
So, wear your designer hats & log on to Fabcurate today.
References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajrak
- https://www.livehistoryindia.com/story/living-history/the-story-of-the-age-old-ajrakh/
- https://www.india1001.com/blogs/1001_crafts/10703197-ajrak-printing-the-story-of-ajrakpur
- https://gaatha.com/history-of-ajrakh/
Picture Credits: Self shot image, Website and Pixabay.com