Handmade With Love

From delicate embroideries and crochet, to regional textiles and knitwear, craftcore is claiming its sweet spot in menswear, finds Shivpriya Bajpai

- Shivpriya Bajpai

The resurgence of nostalgia in fashion over the last couple of years has successfully brought the spotlight on craft excellence. The fall runways of 2020 led to the rise of fashion's newest subculture, 'craftcore'. Legacy brands Maison Margiela, Chloé, Marni, Prada and FENDI showcased folksy iterations through crochet, patchwork, embroidery, knitting and appliqué. Dior collaborated with craftswomen from The Chanakya School of Embroidery and Fine Crafts, in Mumbai for their recent couture showcase. The pandemic instilled a sense of belongingness and sensitivity towards clothes-makers among wearers.

In India, craft-centric fashion has always been more of a stock-in-trade and less of a trend. While techniques like embroidery and surface texture embellishments have been omnipresent, regional textiles and lesser-known crafts garnered attention in the post-pandemic world. It has taken social media trendsetters by storm, with millennials and Gen-Z embracing the handmade movement. And what was deemed prevalent in fashion for women has now gained prominence in homegrown menswear. We speak with four designers and flagbearers of the handmade brigade.

BEYOND THE SUBCULTURE