Weaving an Alluring Canvas

Pradeep Pillai experiments with colours, yarns and motifs to recreate traditional saris and design contemporary ones in collaboration with weavers from across the country. Brinda Gill talks to the New Delhi-based designer to understand what inspires him and his love for handweaving techniques.

- Brinda Gill

“The sari is my canvas. It is six yards of fabric on which I can express myself. It is a canvas that breaks down the boundaries between art and fashion”, says New- Delhi-based designer Pradeep Pillai. He enjoys designing saris and collaborating with weavers to have them woven. Pradeep takes into account the yarns, colours, motifs, patterns and textures so that each of the creations should drape fluidly. These saris encapsulate the essence of his beliefs, influences and experiences while honouring that these are creations of skill sets of artisans, a unique garment and a distinctive textile.

EDUCATION AND WORK

Pradeep grew up in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, and studied fashion designing at NIFT, situated in the same city. As his mother always wore saris, he developed a keen interest in their weaves and drapes. At NIFT, he learnt the theory of textiles, different textile techniques, and the role and relevance of fashion in the industry.

After completing the course in 1999, Pradeep worked at the studio of Samir Sarabhai & Asami Nagashima in Ahmedabad, where he was introduced to the world of artisanal crafts and textiles that shaped his thinking. “In the late 1990s, NIFT was focused on preparing students of fashion design to create garments for the export market as it was believed that quotas on imported Indian textiles and garments imposed by foreign countries would be lifted, and young designers in India should be ready to take up the challenge of creating garments for the export market,” he reminisced.

THE SARI IS MY CANVAS. IT IS SIX YARDS OF FABRIC ON WHICH I CAN EXPRESS MYSELF. IT IS A CANVAS THAT BREAKS DOWN THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN ART AND FASHION.