![Muslin: History of Pride and Sorrow]()
by Purba | May 10, 2021 | Academic |
Muslin is a word that has enchanted the world for the 17th and 18th century for its properties as well as craftsmanship. A pride of Bengal and a worthy opponent of royal clothes all over the world has a rich history. Let us explore today the breathtaking history and the extinction of the world’s finest cloth.
Origin of The Word “Muslin”
The origin of the word Muslin is unclear. Some say the word muslin comes from Mosul, an ancient trading center in Iraq. Again, some think that the word muslin is associated with Musalipattam, the one-time headquarters of a European trading company in southern India.
This word isn’t originated from Persian, Bangla or Sanskrit. Probably the clothes that the Europeans imported from Mosul and the clothes that were brought from other countries of the East through Mosul were called muslin. Then the finest cloth made in Dhaka was called muslin or should say Dhakai Muslin.
Some should say that It’s unclear who gave the name again some would say that it was definitely the Europeans who gave this name. Whoever gave the name, they may be didn’t think that one day this cloth will uphold a whole sub-continent or will be written with the history of pride and agony.
Royal “Muslin” History
When we talk about muslin, Mughal Empire’s name always popped out of history. While in the time of Mughal period the muslin clothing received royal patronage and it ensured another crucial quality certification from the people. Also, the announcement of Dhaka as the capital of Muslin made the trading of muslin to spread far from China to the Middle Eastern Country. The quality, the semitransparent look, the finest touch of craftsmanship attracted people from all over the world. Muslin was widely used to made gown or accessories in European countries.
The tradition of the textile industry in Bengal is quite ancient. At one time Bengal’s cotton cloth was exported to Rome and China. It is mentioned in Ptolemy’s Geography, Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, and in the descriptions of ancient Chinese travellers.
In 1851, Dhaka muslin became the dominant language in a huge exhibition in London and attracted a large number of visitors. British newspapers and magazines praised the excellence and delicacy of Dhaka muslin cloth.
Picture: Muslin as Royalty
During the 17th and 18th centuries, Mughal Bengal emerged as the foremost muslin exporter in the world, with Mughal Dhaka as the capital of the worldwide muslin trade.
Dhakai “Muslin”
The special environment of Dhaka, specially the bank of the river Brahmaputra was perfect to grow the “Phuti” Cotton. A cotton plant from which the cotton fiber was collected to make Dhakai Muslin. Quality of soil, level of moisture and other environmental factors also contributed to the growth of legendary cotton plant.
The threads that were produced from this cotton plant are both soft and strong. Craftsman weaved them by hand into the amazingly fine and beautiful muslin fabrics. Special skills were evolved over the ages and then passed down through the generations. These were used in the spinning and weaving of the amazing muslin fabric.
Dhakai Muslin.
As we are talking about that time when the total Indian subcontinent was under the rule of royalty, The maslin or “Malmal” was not only a type of cloth but it was produced with different count and different fineness. Some type of Muslins are:
- Malbus Khas– Used in Mughal royal family. 1 yard in length 10 yards in width. Weight lifting.
- Malmal Khas– The new muslin that was made for the kings after the Malbus Khas was discontinued in the 18th century.
- Sarkar-i-Ala– Nawab – Subedar used to use it. 1 yard in length 10 yards in width. Weight lifting 10.
- Ab-e-Rowan– was clear as clear water
- Jhuna– The women of the Mughal harem used to wear these clothes. It was also used by women of aristocratic families. The dancers used to dance while wearing clothes made from it.
- Shabnam– so fine that if it was dried on the grass in the morning, it could not be distinguished from dew.
- Badan Khas– used to enhance the beauty of the body of the wearer. Was particularly comfortable. Its weaving would not have been denser.
As mentioned before, muslin is a semi-transparent fabric, sometimes it was considered with fog for its dense look.
History of Agony
Muslin suffered a great loss when people were turning their attention to the machine-made cheap clothing. But not only one cause made the cloth to extinct from the world. So what were the agonies? Why did it extinct?
Cheap “industrial Cloth” vs Royal “Muslin”
During British colonial rule, the muslin industry was made down by various colonial policies, which supported imports of industrially manufactured textiles from Britain. These clothes were cheaper than the Muslin.
With the establishment of the East India Company’s monopoly over the trade of Bengal after the “Battle of Palashi, 1757”, the trade of other European companies and traders belonging to other nationals practically came to a stop.
Pay Tax!
A heavy duty of 75 percent was imposed on the export of cotton from Bengal which ultimately leads to the decline of muslin trade in Bengal because the traders suffered from loss.
Payment for Muslin with blood
Those families who used to made Muslin had to face the cruelty of the government because of the master craftsmanship. Their thumbs were cut off so that they couldn’t pass down the skill to other generation. But some says that the hands of the weavers were not British, but they cut off their own fingers so that the work of weaving would no longer have to be done.
Though the second one don’t have any historical mention but the first one was mentioned by William Bolts.
Thus the history was written and the muslin was extinct and the finest cloth that Bengal could produce was jamdani.
But after a lot of effort, the world again felt the softness of muslin with the revival of Muslin with the help of the Government and some people who wholeheartedly tried to revive the golden past, the glory, The Muslin.
Let’s hear that some other day! Till then stay safe and keep others safe around you!
By Team Bucolic Bohemian,
Umme Memory Mim
Textile Fashion and Design (2018-1-6-012)
Sabiha Moon Taha
Textile Fashion and Design (2019-1-6-006)
Md. Mahmud Hosen
Fabric Engineering (2020-1-2-006)
Reference:
- https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMuslin&psig=AOvVaw3TcVw-GCwyrMOkvSKulydk&ust=1619869895794000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCJivreXzpfACFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD
- https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCotton-Muslin-Fabric-Optic-White%2Fdp%2FB079VQZMTT&psig=AOvVaw3TcVw-GCwyrMOkvSKulydk&ust=1619869895794000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCJivreXzpfACFQAAAAAdAAAAABAp
You can also read another of our premium and all time trending article about Fashion in the 21st century here!
And if you want to read another one of our premium case studies on Fast Fashion Vs Slow Fashion, you can go here!
To know a bit about khadi, a traditional fabric of Bangladesh, you can go here!
History of Silk
You can also read our another article written on the history of pattern and motif!
![Muslin: History of Pride and Sorrow]()
by Purba | May 8, 2021 | Top fashion news |
In this era, to be “out of fashion” is indeed to be out of the world. Why so? Well, we already know the reason. Fashion, which is as old as time and as new as tomorrow, is one of the most powerful forces in our life. It influences every sector of our lifestyle. So, to understand the living, breathing and evolving transformation in fashion industry is a need of the hour!
Although the Fashion Industry is considered to be the most glamorous and dynamic fields in the world, it is also difficult, demanding and unpredictable.
Despite the enchanting interplay of creativity, business hype and marketing wit, everything comes down to the bottom line if the fashion companies can’t get profit up to the mark.
In recent years, the fashion industries have undergone dramatic restructuring. The industry does not resemble the one that existed 20 years ago.
Just as fashion products change, the industry itself keep revolving. However, we have seen fashion retailers competing with each other to provide newly fashion trends revealed by fashion shows and runways.
Here are some factors which are driving the transformation in fashion industry:
Elevation of mass production
Prior to the mid 1980s , success in the fashion industry was dependent on low cost mass production of standard designs that did not change often due to the design restrictions of the factories. Evidently, consumers during that time were less conscious of style and fashion and mostly preferred basic apparel or wearings.
Fashion garments began to be mass produced towards the mid-20th century. People began to have more choices of garments as the bulk of production increased.
At the end of the 20th century, fashion awareness among people raised on the top, and they began to choose comfy as well as stylish clothes for themselves, instead of counting on the trends prevailing in the market.
Fast Fashion
Fast fashion is a very known term that has allowed anyone to dress following the latest trends whether he or she has the least of fashion sense.
Spending a little amount but dressing in a different way has become the norm for most people in the last two decades, and that is the reason driving the success of the “fast fashion” trend.
Customers love to see various products or designs every month and this has led to an increase in the demand for new fashion collections over a smaller span of time. And so, to be profitable in the industry, apparel retailers need to take the ‘speed to market’ approach to make profit on fashion that is not in the stores of their competitors.
By emerging small collections of merchandise, fashion retailers encourage consumers to visit their stores more frequently with the idea of ‘Here Today, Gone Tomorrow’. And it surely indicates a shorter life cycle of a particular design or a garment.
Difference in the styling of apparels. Courtesy: Pinterest.
Technological Impact
There was a time previously when the creation of garments required much time and skill, whereas today they are realised within a matter of minutes.
However, today is a combination of all techniques to have been practiced until now. Such as, some designers love to work with the very ancient spindle techniques for their woven styles, but might use a 3D printer for their footwear or ornaments.
The development of technology gives designers a wide choice of techniques to use and it arises constant opportunities. Moreover-
- Nowadays traditional design methods are being replaced by CAD (Computer-Aided Design), CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) or many other designing platforms which minimizes the time of sketching on paper, draping fabrics on mannequins or having a proper measurement. And so these technologies allow the designers to make any kind of changes required for the desired silhouette or fabric trimmings.
- For having a true-to life garment visualization or virtual sampling, we can now easily use some 3D designing software like CLO, Marvelous Designer, MAYA, TUKA 3D etc. Most of our fashion industries get benefited from these 3D garment simulations; as these have gradually reduced the machinery cost or labour cost.
- High-intensity lasers or computer-guided knives are a great replacement of traditional pattern making system as one can get many layers of fabric all at once. But these technologies are mainly used in making expensive apparels.
Pattern making. Courtesy: Pexels.
The assembling of ancient and modern techniques depicts that designers can choose the most sustainable options, and drive the evolution of fashion towards sustainability.
Online shopping & E-commerce for smoothing the digital transformation in fashion industry
Today’s digital world is more and more interconnected with our fashion industry. Digital platforms are becoming prevalent in the fashion market. Every now and then we can see many new brands are emerging with the development of e-commerce, which allows companies to engage consumers through virtual reality.
- The global pandemic (COVID-19) has transformed the way consumers behave and made it amply clears how technology can be lifted to accumulate sales even when consumers are locked in their homes.
- Another withholding factor to the rise of e-commerce is the availability of smartphones and devices. Moreover, there is a huge upsurge in 4G and 5G adoption, which indicates a developed infrastructure of a country.
- While renowned fashion businesses have already joined the e-commerce bandwagon, small shops or boutiques are now also seen entering the homes of prospective buyers via fashion apps, social media pages and garnering followers. As a result, customisation has evolved; creating one’s own shopping basket, having discounts and loyalty points on shopping sites have now become a rewarding experience.
- During this social media era, the fashion industry is experiencing the increasing role of influencers, as consumers look at their lifestyle as more authentic and attractive than habitual advertisements. Influencers are considered as close to the common people because they are not models and are not forced to make a campaign, but wear what they like and what flaunts their body well; they also show their outfits during regular days or in common. Thus it gets easier for ordinary people or customers to adopt the trend followed by the influencers.
The adoption and popularity of e-commerce have manifested that being digital is the only way forward. As consumers build on their impulses, fashion platforms need to up their game to personalize their offerings to the varied tastes and build predictability within their boundaries, to better purchase experiences.
Customization of a particular attire brings the transformation in fashion industry
Personalization:
Consumers have become more squeamish and more demanding during the last few years. It builds a high expectation for quality products among the consumers. They choose fashion items according to their values and their personal style. To cope up with the expectations, fashion companies have to understand how to offer product that customers will perceive as unique. Many fashion companies have followed this trend by enlightening their product portfolio and becoming more and more “multi-style brands”.
Sometimes the company has to think about what is the difference that makes the product of a brand incomparable for both customers and competitors. A wrong choice can instantly destroy the brand reputation, thus they have to be very careful with the selection.
The fashion industry is one of innovation, vision and diversity. And of course, we do not need a reminder of this, but in the fast pace of life, it can be easy to get caught in the rapid movement of our works with all the deadlines and trends. We need to juggle with our innovative ideas, customer feedback and our internal communications as well as to create beautiful and sustainable garments as quickly as possible, following the brand’s image and values.
By Team Saturnine,
Mentor: Tanvir Ahamed Fahad; Id:2018-1-6-026
Leader: Atkia Faiza; Id: 2019-1-6-020
Executive: Md. Asaduzzaman Ovi; Id:2020-1-6-020
Dept: Textile Fashion & Design
Photo References:
- Image 1: Unsplash
- Image 2: Pinterest
- Image 3: Pexels
- Image 4: Pexels
You can also read another of our premium content on Fashion in the 21st century!
If you are interested in architecture and fashion, you can also read Architecture Fabric: The New Use of Textiles as A Building Material
Cybersecurity in Fashion: How SpamTitan Helps Protect Fashion Brands from Cyber Threats
![Muslin: History of Pride and Sorrow]()
by Purba | May 7, 2021 | Shout out |
Fashionnovation is committed to introduce you with unique, sustainable, rising fashion brands and the masterminds behind them. In today’s Fashionnovation article, we get the humble opportunity to introduce you with Pola De Giovanni, a UK based textile designer, a mixed media artist and a graduate of the London College of Fashion, MA-Fashion Studies. In October 2019 she set up her creative business Meanmagenta Art & Photography. In this exclusive article, we will explore her soothing works.
How Paola’s venture started?
During the global epidemic, Paola has discovered the ancient ink painting technique called marbling and put together an impressive body of prints. Paola describes this medium as a form of active meditation: soothing, liberating and empowering. What started as a creative way to cope with the emotional stress caused by the pandemic, soon became a stunning range of wall art, cushions and silk/velvet scarves.
Her marbling artwork is often digitally put into repeats to create seamless and symmetrical patterns to suggest balance, reciprocity and elegance.
Product range?
Paola’s marbling art is available as limited editions of matt prints, in various formats and they all have a Certificate of Authenticity, each artwork is printed on matt Hahnemuhle paper, and archival inks to guarantee color fastness.
Also available as cotton/velvet cushions, bean bags, silk/velvet scarves, and soon as lamp shades and wallpaper.
Paola’s latest works on marbling wall art. Image courtesy: Meanmagenta Art and Photography.
What’s Paola’s take on sustainability?
Paola believes in using sustainable materials and only uses inks that do not pollute the environment. She uses recycled canvases, recycled cotton rags transformed into stretched canvases. She will also soon launch a collection of monochrome versions of her marbling prints, and marketed as mindfulness coloring art prints.
Paola tells Fashionnovation she is on a mission to banish boring white walls and fill as many homes and offices as possible with her uplifting and bright wall art: “I want to bring colors, art, joy into people’s home through my product range. Art heals, engages, brightens people’s lives, and awakens the creative who is inside us”.
Meanmagenta Marbling wall art and accessories range are a great gift idea all year round.
Paola’s latest works on marbling wall art. Image courtesy: Meanmagenta Art and Photography.
In late August Paola will exhibit her marbled cushions and scarves at the London Accessories Week, a collective exhibition organised by X Terrace Fashion Platform https://www.londonaccessoryweek.com
Paola is based in the UK, but she is open to the world of online and offline global opportunities: she accepts orders, bespoke commissions and collaborations with stylists, interior designers and art buyers, please reach out via her social media channels or simply email her:
paola_degio@yahoo.co.ukIf you have any initiative like Pola De Giovanni or have to say something to the world, feel free to contact us and get featured in fashionnovation! Our email address: fashionnovationfd@gmail.com
![Muslin: History of Pride and Sorrow]()
by Purba | May 5, 2021 | Academic |
Medieval period is one of the most interesting periods for historians. Many political changes & reforms came during this period. All these reforms had an absolute impact on people’s lifestyle, dress & fashion. Which still inspire our modern fashion designers. In this series we will talk about all these things regarding medieval culture, society & political impact along with medieval clothing. Our part 1 consists Medieval Period’s short history, Social system, Sumptuary law & Women’s clothing.
History of Medieval Period:
Approximately 5th century to late 15th century is regarded as Middle Ages or Medieval period by historians. However, it actually began with the fall of western roman empire & ended before renaissance. When western roman empire falls catholic churches turned into most powerful institution. The formation & rise of Byzantine empire (395-1453) started during this time. A new revolution started with the birth of Islamic Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which created empires like Umayyad Caliphate (661-750), Abbasid Caliphate (750-1517), Fatimid Caliphate (909-1171), Ayyubid Caliphate (1171-1260), Caliphate of Cordova (929-1031) etc. Meanwhile in Europe the Franks established Carolingian Empire (800-888). Besides there were impact of Vikings, Magyars, Saracens etc in Europe. After 10th century, High middle age began where the population along with agricultural development increased which caused social systems like Manorialism and Feudalism. The clash between the empires, civil wars were common in political environment. Western European Christians tried to regain their holy land from Muslims which created holy war or Crusade. All these things created four-category people such as King, Religious preacher, Soldier or Knights and the common people. Apart from these things based on different social customs there was lot of category and dividing within people of Medieval period.
Social Systems of Medieval Period:
Medieval period saw social system like Manorialism. Manorialism was seen in rural area where legal and economic power was given to a lord of the manor. Which further updated and turned into feudalism. In feudal society the core power was within three (the nobility, the clergy, the peasantry). Feudal system is mainly a combination of legal & military customs. There were king at the highest order then Knights, Clergy & tradesman. Peasant were the bottom character in this pyramid system. In Islamic world everyone lived under caliph. There was soldier, tradesman, scientists, poets, philosophers from cities like Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo etc.
Sumptuary Law of Medieval Period:
Sumptuary law was widely applied in Europe during medieval period. The law was basically used to regulate consumption and protect the feudalism ideology through daily commodities like dress, food and luxury expenditure. Sumptuary law made it easier to make discrimination between the people according to their class. People from various class was permitted to wear or use different rank dress due to this law. Prosperous Bourgeoisie was identified based on their dress. So, the moral of the story is only the wealthy could dress in fashionable way and had more option to dress than the other. It was commonly said by the Medieval philosophers about fashion that “The King himself was a leader of fashion, the nobles followed the King, the merchants followed the nobles and the peasants were clothed in the simplest of garments.”
However, from women’s hairstyle to food everything was maintained under sumptuary law & breaking these laws could be harsh for anyone because of penalty system. But the most interesting fact is most of the countries in Europe like England, Spain, France, Italy, German etc accepted these sumptuary laws.
Women’s Clothing:
Women’s clothing had different priorities based on culture. Italian people followed their cultural heritage on the other hand German and Switzerland used heavy and detailed work in their dress. English people are always elegant with their fashion sense & same goes for France too although France was inconsistent in fashion. Medieval women mainly used to wear “Kirtles” which consisted full length tunics covering their ankles. General women used two tunics and sometimes a long cloak around the tunic. In some case short kirtles were seen to wear on tunics. A belt-like item was used to create a long-waist appearance which was regarded as “Gridle”.
A ride by the Medieval Party. Courtesy: Photo by Matheus Frade on Unsplash
By the time tunics turned were narrowed and woman gowns became more emphasized. Use of headwear of scarf was seen. Women’s cloth started to become tighter and fitting. As far as Muslim women concerns, they used to wear long tunic that reached down to their knees. If women go to crowd, they used to wear veil in their faces. However, as wool was most popular fabric at that time most of the women’s cloth including tunica was made of wool.
By Team Stalwart,
Mentor: Sumita Bhattacharja Joly (2018-1-6-007);Dept: Textile Fashion & Design
Leader: Shariful Islam Akash (2019-1-6-040);Dept: Textile Fashion & Design
Executive: Nashita Ahmed (2020-1-10-041);Dept: Environmental Science & Engineering
References:
Enjoy our premium article on Textile in space: Flying up to reach the stars!
To know the biggest fashion trends of 21st century, you can visit here! Moreover, if you want to know the future of fashion industry after Covid-19, you can click here!
And if you want to read one of our premium case studies on Fast Fashion Vs Slow Fashion, you can go here!
Fast Fashion Vs Slow Fashion: A Case Study
You can also read our interesting and well researched article on: Architecture Fabric: The New Use of Textiles as A Building Material
![Muslin: History of Pride and Sorrow]()
by Purba | May 5, 2021 | Shout out |
Fashionnovation is always looking for unique, sustainable, rising fashion brands and the masterminds behind them. In today’s Fashionnovation’s exclusive interview, we get the humble opportunity to introduce you with Kasia Kolasa, the talented Finnish fashion designer working for the maternity dresses with her own fashion brand called VeNove.
Kazi Purba: What’s the story of VeNove? Why did you start?
Kasia Kolasa: VeNove is a small fashion company and a fashion brand founded by me in 2018 in Helsinki, Finland. After graduating from a fashion school, I wanted to find my place in the challenging fashion industry and pursue my journey as a designer. I have always been passionated about patternmaking and garment construction but I wanted to combine these with my practical sewing skills and creating my own small business. I wanted to find a niche market for my products and I decided to create a maternity clothing line – mostly dresses and tunics that could be worn in pregnancy and beyond. My main goal in VeNove was to make garments that are comfortable and easy to wear but at the same time stylish and unique. That’s where I could really use my pattern construction skills.
Figure: Kasia Kolasa, the founder of VeNove. Image courtesy: VeNove.
Kazi Purba: Wow! It feels great to hear that you kept on doing what you love most! Would you please explain your design concepts?
Kasia Kolasa: I aim to design for women who want to feel beautiful but also comfortable when pregnant and who appreciate timeless and sustainable fashion – but with some innovative twists in shape. VeNove maternity dresses are suitable for breastfeeding (thanks to a hidden nursing panel) and there are many small details that make the projects special – for example the front part of the dresses is slightly longer than the back – thanks to that it looks proportional and doesn’t get too short as the belly grows in pregnancy. Pockets – that’s another tiny detail that makes the garments more comfortable and functional. And there are no zippers, so the dresses are super easy and comfortable to wear.
I design for real women – that’s why VeNove size table varies from many standard charts used by fashion producents and industrial pattern makers. There is one very important change I made to the usual sizing to make room not only for the growing belly but also for the growing breasts (in the pregnancy and after). This change in the patterns allows the customer to use their normal pre-pregnancy clothing size. VeNove products are available in sizes from XS to XL. I also offer individual customization.
Kazi Purba: I’ve watched your youtube videos about pattern making. I literally love them! Would you please tell us something about it?
Kasia Kolasa: I love patternmaking and I really enjoy challenging myself with garment construction – all kinds of construction, not only dresses or maternity clothing. I have been working with individual clients, and tailoring the patterns to many different silhouettes. Some years ago I started to make my patterns digitally. In VeNove I prepare all of my projects using Valentina – an open source pattern drafting software tool. I encourage other aspiring designers to try it. For me it’s a quicker, more accurate and also more sustainable way of making patterns compared to drafting them on paper.
Kasia Kolasa also shares with others her skills and knowledge about patternmaking by publishing some wonderful video tutorials on her YouTube channel. Fashionnovation eagerly waits to watch more of her tutorials! Image courtesy: VeNove.
I want to share with others my skills and knowledge about patternmaking. That’s why I published some video tutorials on my YouTube channel and many more are to come. I also plan to sell some of my PDF patterns to hobbyist sewers.
Kazi Purba: We know that sustainability is a big issue at this moment. How does VeNove promote sustainability?
Kasia Kolasa: VeNove supports Slow fashion. I make all the products by myself, starting from the design of the projects, drafting patterns to finding the right fabrics and manufacturing the garments. VeNove collection consists of small batches and unique pieces and instead of keeping many products in stock, I make many of them to order. I have a freedom to do so, because I don’t depend on subcontractors and I can sew very well. I can also manage the usage of materials and although VeNove projects are not completely zero waste designs, I aim to reduce the textile waste to minimum. I use high quality fabrics which are also easy to maintain (this is very important for mothers with small babies). VeNove dresses are suitable for the time of pregnancy, breastfeeding but not only – they don’t look at all as typical maternity garments and they can be styled in many ways – casual or more elegant.
If you want to see Kasia Kolasa’s projects and find out more about VeNove, please visit:
Website: https://venove.design/
Instagram: @venove.fashion
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/venove.fashion
and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/VeNove
If you have any initiative like Kasia Kolasa or have to say something to the world, feel free to contact us and get featured in fashionnovation! Our email address: fashionnovationfd@gmail.com
Lili: A Sustainable Brand for Upcycled Jewelry
Jana’s Amber Design House: A Brand That Is More Than a Meditation
Cloth Pads That Work: 4 Trusted Picks Worth Trying
