![A Traditional Embroidery Art of Bengal-Nakshi Kantha]()
by Purba | Apr 24, 2021 | Top fashion news |
Nakshi Kantha is one of the most eminent and highly honoured folk arts of Bengal. The word Nakshi Kantha is deeply associated with the tradition of rural Bengal. In the rural houses of Bengal, women create these lushly embroidered quilts that have until recently gone unnoticed and unrecognized outside of the region. The people of this country have been using Nakshi Kantha for a very long time. These embroidered quilts have become an identity maker of the rural women, as they can find an opportunity to express desires, aspirations and sentiments through creative embroidered platform with the help of needles and threads.
History Behind Motifs of Nakshi Kantha
Although it is considered as a work of art for rural women, Nakshi Kantha art is associated with our socio-economic history and tradition. The life story of the kings, the battles, the myths, the love affairs of the men and women are mixed in every weaving of this art. Nakshi Kantha is a wonderful expression of the artistic mind of the women of the village. The embroidered surface of a Kantha contains a variety of folk motifs taken from the artisan’s locality. As the artisans are mostly from rural areas, the motifs are taken from nature, artisans everyday lives or something that they desire.
Bengal culture depicted on each motif.
Most of the motifs are selected mindfully and have their own meanings that carry semiotic importance as they represent an artisan’s self. Besides the multifarious motifs, the color, shape, texture, and size play important roles to convey the meaning and purpose of the craft.
Purpose & Uses
Different kinds of flowers, herbs, elephants, horses, birds, plows, boats, moon, stars, etc. are commonly noticed in these highly decorative artifact.This traditional art was practiced almost in every district of Bengal ; prominently in Rajshahi,Rangpur, Bogra, Pabna, Dinajpur, Kushtia, Faridpur, Jessore, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Cumilla and Sylhet.Because of the individuality of designs and stitches,kanthas are called by different names.Such as-
- Barka stitch
- Tejabi stitch
- Bamboo leaf stitch
- Kaito stitch
- Bichha stitch etc.
Animal & Floral motif.
Hence,the utilization of Nakshi Kantha can be multifunctional-it can serve as a blanket, coverlet, baby quilt,or prayer mat,as well as many other purposes,both religious and secular. And so, there are differences in their names according to usages.For instance, Lepkantha for winter, Bayatan for use on pillows, Asantha Kantha for sitting, Dastarkhana used for food, Jainamaz kantha for prayers etc.
Reflection of an Artisans Mindset
The rainy season lasts for a long time in Bengal. When it rains cats and dogs, Bengali women are mostlty seen passing the leisure time by sewing kantha with needle thread in the betel nut chat.In making of kantha,it requires crafting skill as well as traditional knowledge,as the skill is transferred from generation to generation without receiving any institutional training. Occasionally,the artisans adopt it subconsciously through following their female family members as a part of their household activity.To create a story on the surface of the kantha, the rural women are seen working on it from dawn to dusk. With incomparable skill, they make various designs on this decorative surface.
Beautiful Embroidery design. Courtesy: Bee-bd.com
For praising such amazing artifact and the dedication of the artisans,a dramatized bengali narritive named ‘Nakshi Kanthar Math’ was written by our very own ‘Palli Kabi’ Jasimuddin in 1929. After the publication of this narrative the word Nakshi Kantha became famous among the country people. We can surely recall some of the verses here-
“Spreading the embroidered quilt,
She works the lifelong night,
As if the quilt her poet were
Of her bereaved plight.
Many a joy,many a sorrow
Is written on its breast;
the story of Rupa’s life is there,
Line by line expressed.”
Beliefs & Chronicle Changes
Previously, the sentiments of the artisans were the key component to guide the process of making a Nakshi Kantha.
-The artisans’ religious belief used to be reflected in a traditional Kantha as well, depending on its intended use.
-Discarded clothes used to be the primary material for making Nakshi Kantha,as they were believed to remove the evil eye from newborn babies who were wrapped in them.
– In the rural areas, it was once a custom to give kantha to the bride at weddings as a token of love. In the evolution of time, Nakshi Kantha is no longer used for everyday use.
Though previously Kanthas were used to represent love and care for dear ones,in its present form it has assisted the artisans to empower themselves by using their traditional skills for commercial manufacturing of Nakshi Kantha. The multiple functions and meanings of these handcrafted textiles have not only allowed them to contribute to household use but also have furnished their place in history and now in the contemporary world, as they have moved into public spaces like art galleries, museums, exhibitions, and craft shops, as well as gaining a new role in personal use and even in works of literature.
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Rural women are making Nakshi Kantha together. Courtesy: Heifer International.
Conveying Tradition through Nakshi Kantha
Nakshi Kantha is very popular as a memento, and it is a medium through which recipients can stay attached to their origins. As there is no specific design for Nakshi Kantha sewing, one can pour ones heart out through this folkart. Many people with Bengali roots who live in different parts of the world have at least one Nakshi Kantha in their collection. Isn’t that great? At the same time, artisans have now come to see the making of Nakshi Kantha as a way of achieving economic independency. Due to its extraordinary aesthetics, it has already crossed the roadmap from a domestic craft to an extremely valued fashion object.
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
References:
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![A Traditional Embroidery Art of Bengal-Nakshi Kantha]()
by Purba | Apr 20, 2021 | Academic |
From childhood, we dreamt to be invisible like Harry Potter with a magical cloak. But with modern technology & science is that really possible? Let’s check out its origin, adaptation & current scientific updates.
Origin of Invisible Cloak
The invisible cloak is mainly adapted from mythologic terms. It’s mainly a fictional theme which is mainly found in Welsh, German & in some cases probably in Greek myths. According to these myths using certain special cloaks, people can become invisible. However, these myths are mainly found through folklore & storytelling as there is no actual evidence of the existence of these kinds of fabric or cloak before.
Adaptation in fictional Literature & Entertainment
Ancient myths still inspire our art, culture, fashion & entertainment. The invisible cloak inspired a lot of things in the modern era or pre-modern era. A lot of fictional novels are based on these kinds of stuff. In the modern-day several movies & series adapted these mythological terms. Cloaks of Invisibility also existed in Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. The Hobbit series also adapted idea like invisible/magic cloak. The most interesting fact is most of the audience appreciated these mythological terms in entertainment & novel culture. However, getting inspired by fantasy, humans are now trying to create such stuff using modern technology & science.
Scientific Research & Technology
There is been a lot of work happening related to cloaking devices since 2006. Two scientists from Duke University made it possible to render an object invisible for the first time. The cloak was made of “Metamaterial”. It’s generally not found in natural materials. (Although the concept of Metamaterial started in 1967). That special cloak routed microwaves in such a way that makes our eyes emerge as if there is nothing or the object is invisible. However, the research continued more & scientists from Berkeley Lab & University of California added a new dimension to it. They believed that cloaking at optical frequencies is quite possible. At the beginning of 2011, they announced a new cloaking system that was effective in visible lights and can hide macroscopic objects. Natural birefringence of calcite was used in it. When we look at something, we identify its colour because it absorbs all the colour except for the colour that is associated with that object. The wavelength bounces of that object and goes into our eyes which is processed by our brain. So, to deceive our vision an invisibility cloak would have to stop reflecting light back from objects to our eye. By making the wavelengths of light avoid the objects one can do that. Similarly, some cloaking technology can divert wavelengths of light around the edges of an object instead of deflecting them back to our eyes. By this, our brain thinks absent of a certain object. The new cloak created by the University of California doesn’t curve light waves around the object, but reflects and diverts a malformed version of those wavelengths, and thus makes the object undetectable. They used a close-fitting “metasurface” which is made of a light-thin insulator material flecked with gold rectangles that absorb and then emit light waves in a way that eyes can’t identify. The material’s thickness is less than a micrometre as a result it can be wrapped around objects like skin. However, the latest cloaks advantage is that it can cover objects with neat sharp edges, which was proven highly challenging with cloaks in the past.
Problems that Scientists are facing
To create invisible cloaks scientists are facing a lot of problems. One of them is the high dispersive nature of these materials. Besides light passing through them sometimes gets partially absorbed. There is also some issue with movement. The movement of objects may create a problem with invisibility.
Latest Update
Although perfect cloaking is still impossible scientists are trying for its advancement throughout new compound or metal. detectors like microphones, radar or waves and sources such as loudspeakers can still identify object hidden with the latest cloaking tech. But scientists also expect to make perfect cloaking if a particular formula is used to calculate the signals to be fed to the sources. Currently, scientists are working with the metasurface concept in this technology.
Stealth Aircraft by the United States. Courtesy: Image by WikiImages from Pixabay
Current Use & Future Projects:
Although invisible cloaking’s core idea came from myths and fantasy it may be a useful and game-changing revolution for the world, especially in military tactics. Soldiers can disguise themselves with such kind of cloaks during the war. Even probably a whole bunch of arms, camps can be hidden using such technologies. Countries like the United States already working to manufacture stealth aircraft & it has been reported that the British army has also tested something like “Invisible tank”. However, researchers are excited about this new surface as It could eventually open doors to new exciting applications.
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:
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by Purba | Oct 14, 2020 | Top fashion news |
How did fashion get mass acceptance? If you think about it deeply, you are bound to get numerous answers. But the most prominent answer that will peep in our mind is media. Magazine, newspapers, websites, blogs, social media platforms, television and books are the sections of media. Media enabled consumers to have much more interaction with the fashion world. Designers, trendsetters, editors influence and are influenced by media. We know that fashion made its debut before media-at least as we comprehend the term ‘media’ now. So at first it’s important to know what the word ‘ fashion’ actually means. Today most of the people regard fashion as those attitude and style of dress that are popular within specified time frames and adopted by the masses. Famous fashion designer Coco Chanel quote about fashion and that is,
“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress;
Dress impeccably and they remember the woman”
Fashion influences our life style. It doesn’t influence not only because it allows ous to dress fashionably but also gives comfort and protection, conceal nudity and express modesty.
Most of the time people follow the famous fashion designers, fashion weeks or the trends going on and the best way to know about this things is media. The word ‘media’ comes from the latin, meaning ‘middle layer’. Media works like a middleman that serves ‘to bring together’. In fashion, media is a rising segment of the fashion industry. It creates content that impresses consumer’s behaviour and desire through print journalism, television, social media. Fashion magazines had long been leaders in fashion journalism but now in the modern time fashion media is expending and establishing itself as the new leader. Media has brought about new channels to advertise fashion houses to reach their target markets. Although the marketing strategies and tactics have changed but the target of marketing fashion remains the same and that is to attract and hold customers. The relationship between fashion and media has come to exist after decades of evolution and the impact is infinite. It has become easy for fashion communication to provide the rapidly modernizing world with mass products more cheaply and quickly than when this works were done by hands. Labels are now able to connect and build lasting relationship with customers at the push of a button.
Fashion industry is one of the business sectors where frequent changes occur. To spread current changes among the mass people, fashion brands use media and advertise their target markets. It provides the customers with company updates and announcements about new fashion lines, events and promotions. Fashion business should concentrate on posting a myriad of contents to stay relevant to the customers. Brands put their clothing in magazines and consumers get ideas and inspiration about the new arriving through the pages. In fashion shows models wear the designed cloths done by named fashion designers and media covers the show on television so that people can watch. The runways of the big four ‘Paris, Milan, London and New work’ dominated the scene across the globe for many decades. Media eyes were always trained on the big four. Through the internet fashion can be expanded without a runway, expensive adds or an actual store. In the twenty first century the apparel industry has been marked as the retail market selling fashion online. Media has given the opportunity to general people to feel more connected with fashion world. It has a significant role in boosting the fashion industry.
Musharrat Tasnim Soumeen
Department of Textile Fashion and Design,
Bangladesh University of Textiles (BUTEX),
Batch :46
Id:2020-1-6-004
![A Traditional Embroidery Art of Bengal-Nakshi Kantha]()
by Purba | Oct 14, 2020 | Fashion Illustration |
For those who know Prada, they and everybody else should also know what Miuccia Prada, Italian head designer of Prada once said. She quoted, “Fashion is instant language”.
Getting deeper into this quote, we can discover how this quote can open many doors to learn and engage in the language itself. One of the ways is fashion illustration.
In other words, if fashion is a language, let fashion illustration be the words. Fashion illustration is, in fact, like a picture worth 1000 words. But doesn’t a curious mind want to know, what exactly fashion illustration is?
As Wikipedia would say- fashion illustration is the art of communicating fashion ideas in visual form. Now there’s going to be people who’ll think, “If this writer needs to quote directly from Wikipedia, I could’ve done it on my own”, right?
Well, defending on the writer’s side, there is actually more to it. Fashion illustration indeed is a form of art. But it not only visualizes the idea what a clothing should look like, but it also shapes the style of the current generation.
As fashion illustrator Graeme Aymer said, “Fashion illustration is a style itself, and it is currently enjoying a Renaissance”. Designing clothes through drawings and colors are the basic tools.
But an illustrator also has to think about the future before the actual creation of the clothes.
Fashion Illustration by hand. Image courtesy: Author.
Now the question is, what should an illustrator put into a fashion sketch? One must ensure to put embellishments, render the fabric accurately, put the prints and seams. But before all of these, one must know how to draw the human figure with appropriate body size, shape and most importantly- expression! You got to admit, a figure wearing clothes with profound expression is what catches the attention of clients and persuades them to buy the dress!
Putting aside all these somewhat boring theories, let’s look at something more interesting and fascinating. In the fashion world, broadly speaking, one can find fashion illustration to be of 2 types-
- The first type is what the writer would like to call ‘objective’. This refers to much realistic and sensible forms of arts. In this case, the fashion illustrator tries to put the fashion ideas in such a way so that the clients can easily understand what the clothing wants to say. Say, you are drawing a full-length evening gown made of silk with drapes and off-shoulder bodice, you may want to render the sketch off the fabric with shine and white highlights contrast to any other color you are using. And in case of making the sketch more ‘sensible’, one can try to sketch the figure with 8-head, 9-head or 10-head figures with appropriate measurements. This makes the sketch more lively and more relevant to real human figure.
This type of illustration helps the client to know exactly what the final outfit is going to be and this also helps to produce the garment if it is thought to be made in bulk.
As you’re interested in Fashion Illustration, you’ll also be excited to check 12 Fashion Illustrations Done by Students Which Will Blow Your Mind!
Now if an illustrator is enthusiastic and a big-dreamer who wants to start their own clothing business or wants to work with a design team, one must know the following 6 types of fashion sketches-
- Fashion Flat:
Fashion flats. Image source: Pixabay
This is a 2D sketch normally made in black & white. It can sometimes be a rough sketch. If further the designer has a solid idea, one can add details and color to the garment.
- Tech Sketch:
Tech sketch. Image source: makersow.com
In this case, some details are added to the fashion flat in written form.
- Spec: Specs have precise presentations of the illustration with specifications added such as trims, seams, cost, manufacturing process etc.
Specs. Image source: Online clothing study.
- Working Drawing: This drawing is made specifically for the pattern maker who would make pattern pieces according to the pattern drawings illustrated here.
- Presentation Drawing: This is made for the client or producer to make them visualize the final dress.
Presentation drawing. Image courtesy: Courtney Trowbridge
- Fashion Croquis: The term Croquis refers to ‘sketch’ in French. This is a template drawing over which one can trace and draw a garment to remake it or to modify it. There are great books for helping in drawing fashion flats that also provides croquis.
Fashion Croquis. Image source: Shutterstock
Well, this objective drawing is now what makes the fashion world go forward. In many cases, designers or illustrators can recreate already famous dresses by adding their own persona but still keeping it sensible to the viewers on what the dress is actually defining.
- Now the other type of illustration is both old and new. This is something that can be called ‘abstract’. In this case, you as an illustrator can draw fashion sketches in your own twisted and unreasonable way. There is no standard measurement, rather however you present a theme of a dress, it is perfect in any way. Although these illustrations are somewhat difficult to comprehend, they do give the essence to exaggerated and independent taste.
One of the famous fashion illustrators is Antonio Lopez. This Puerto Rican illustrator was famous for his illustrations being futuristic, bold and dynamic. His first works of art was named El Museo del Barrio, which was made in 1978 using watercolors and pencils. You will definitely notice how the body structure and shape of the garment looks absurd but that is the way this creates the modern art look, putting fashion as a form of visual ornament in a non-representative way.
This form of illustrations is highly used to recreate already made garments in a new style to promote them in magazines and books and also to keep them in the history of fashion. This unusual type of illustrations are now becoming popular day-by-day, although these forms of art had a decline in the late 30’s when the magazine covers started to use photographic images instead of abstract arts.
Tasphia Zaman Department of Textile Fashion and Design, Bangladesh University of Textiles. ID: 2018-1-6-009, TFD-44
As you have read this interesting article about ‘illustration, no illusion’, you might want to learn how to do beautiful fashion illustrations. So, we have covered that for you here!
Free and Paid Fashion Illustration Courses for you
As you’re interested in Fashion Illustration, you’ll also be excited to check 12 Fashion Illustrations Done by Students Which Will Blow Your Mind!
![A Traditional Embroidery Art of Bengal-Nakshi Kantha]()
by Purba | Oct 13, 2020 | Our works, The story of Fashionnovation |
Digital Wall Magazine: The Very First of Its Kind in The Varsity!
In 2019, we felt that there isn’t any platform for the TFDians to publish their write ups though they are extremely talented in writing.
Kazi Purba, being a writer of Kaler Kantho and Textile Today himself, immediatedly took a decision to do something for it. He asked Md. Mahamudul Hasan and got his positive feedback. As there wasn’t any funding, Kazi Purba came up with a new form of magazine-‘Digital wall magazine’ and launched ‘Ronger Jadukor’ with his hard earned money from feature writing!
All the students who wrote in Ronger Jadukor, showed that we, the TFDians are not only creative in drawing, painting, we are also master at writing.
The students from TFD-43, 44 came up with wonderful stories, poems and illustrations. we became overwhelmed by reading all of the writings and a seed of another venture started to grow in his mind.
What’s the venture? Well, let’s keep it a secret now! By this time, the venture is well alive. If you are a member of Fashionnovation, you already know it. But if you aren’t, you just need to keep patience and go through our next history timeline writings!
Kazi Farhan Hossain Purba, the Founder and President of Fashionnovation standing beside the digital wall magazine ‘Ronger Jadukor’. He is also the editor and publisher of the magazine
