Ever dreamt of a carpet finding its way into your wardrobe, quite literally? Designer Rehane Yavar Dhala née Rehane Khaleeli did just that and that’s what led to The Jamakkalam Collection. Known more popularly by her mononym and her eponymous label, Rehane, this Chennai-based couturier is currently making waves in fashion circles for her latest collection that celebrates the ethnically indigenous Tamil carpet/rug, the jamakkalam.
How it started
Globally popular as the ‘South Indian Carpet,’ the jamakkalam had its humble beginnings in the late 19th century, when competition from British-made textiles led Indian weavers to invent new types of garments. In Bhavani (a small town in Erode District, Tamil Nadu), a community of weavers called Jangamars began weaving a type of blanket using coloured coarse threads called jamakkalam. The popularity of the product led to the production of these jamakkalam blankets by other weavers replacing the production of traditional saris and other clothes in these clusters. The blanket soon became more popular as a rug/carpet, but even today, the word jamakkalam is still often used to mean blanket in certain dialects of Tamil.
“I have always been fascinated by the jamakkalam and I absolutely love the colours. I think, the only other culture to celebrate these lively colours are the native people of Central and South America, think Mexico and Peru. In fact, some of the indigenous people of Peru have something very similar to the jamakkalam in terms of fabric, colour and weaving styles — just that we use it as a carpet/blanket/rug and they use it as clothing. There’s always white, there’s always black and bright colours like red, yellow and green and it’s amazing how these designs and patterns pop up all over the globe,” begins Rehane, who is known for her mélange of modern Indian sensibilities with a strong sense of European haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion.
“Something that I noticed as I was doing my research was that tribal and indigenous cultures across the world have never shied away from celebrating bright colours. This need for subtlety and sombre hues and shades is something that only the urban deem important. The more urban people get, the duller they get with their choices of colours. And what really worries me is this trend of people ignoring or rejecting their own roots. This collection hopes to inspire people to go back to their roots, because there’s nothing more fashionable and trendy. All it needs is some creativity,” adds the couturier who regularly showcases her designs at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week and Lakmé Fashion Week.
Weaves reimagined
Traditionally, jamakkalams were woven by independent weavers in their houses. A pit loom is used and is made of wood with the threads stretched horizontally from end to end. The weaver sits in a pit dug into the ground, on level with the weaving surface. The weaver operates two pedals with their legs while enabling the hands to move the shuttle across to produce the weaving pattern. Today, about 1,500 artisans are involved in the production of jamakkalams with women forming two-thirds of the work force.
“The jamakkalam is often reduced to just being a native rug or carpet that people use on auspicious days at home. It is also very much a daily use carpet/blanket, but gets elevated by its importance in wedding traditions or say a carnatic katcheri performance etc. And while the usage of the jamakkalam is very humble, the colours used on it represent our indigenous cultures at their very heart. Each of these colours used on a jamakkalam can be found in pattu saris, on kanjivarams, on festival flags, on the gopurams of temples — be it the yellow, orange, blue or even the shade of white used. This aesthetic is shared by all our indigenous arts and artistic representations and I feel it connects us all to our tribal pasts. My dream is to parade this collection in front of the Meenakshi Sundaraswarar Temple and watch as the silhouettes blend seamlessly into the background — earth to sky,” enthuses Rehane.
Often called Chennai’s ‘First Lady of Fashion,’ Rehane has now been in the industry for over two decades and is fearless when it comes to her fashion choices. “I’m one of those few designers who is not scared of colour and I honestly do not care about what people think about my usage of bright colours in my collections. If it feels right, I go ahead with it. And I know I have done the right thing with this collection as people have already started buying pieces and asking me to create specific silhouettes for them,” she explains. “I am fully aware that this collection is not going to be a commercial success, but that was never its intent. Bringing jamakkalams to the forefront and helping people understand that this amazing craft can be couture too, is what this whole exercise has been about,” she adds.
Once upon a lungi
Recognised as a Geographical Indication by the Government of India in 2005-06; blankets, rugs and carpets manufactured in Bhavani in Erode district are the only products that can be identified as jamakkalams. “I source most of my jamakkalams from Co-optex and they already stock a wide variety, which makes it easy for me to choose the colour combinations I am looking for. Co-optex has been my go-to destination for indigenous fabric. I often also source lungis from them and try to create something interesting. We’re probably the only culture that has so easily moved away from our traditional clothing. When is the last time you saw someone choosing to wear a lungi over boxer shorts and T-shirts at home? The way we’ve aped the West is very saddening. Look at the Japanese, they choose to wear their traditional clothes at home, even today. And here we are wearing clothes that aren’t comfortable or even suited to our climatic conditions. I love wearing lungis even today and slip into one whenever I can,” avers Rehane.
“I’ll be honest. Jamakkalam looks great as apparel, but it works best for body-con silhouettes. It’s meant for someone who understands what this whole idea is about. It’s not going to suit every body type and it’s definitely not going to lend itself to breezy silhouettes. It works great for tube tops, shorts, miniskirts and jackets. I actually see it evolving into a popular fabric for men’s silhouettes more than women. But this is just the beginning. Maybe, we could work the weaving technique with other fabrics too, like silk, and make new variations of jamakkalam that would lend itself more easily to wearable and comfortable clothing. For now, I chose to put in a comfortable cotton lining within each of the pieces and that helped a lot in making these silhouettes pretty wearable, but I will keep experimenting and I am sure soon, I will have a collection that can be worn right off the rack,” she concludes.
Rehane is currently also working on an upcoming collection of festive silhouettes for her New Year edit and we can look forward to a colourful celebration in sequins.
INR 12,000 onwards. By appointment only. Instagram: @rehaneofficial.
romal@newindianexpress.com
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