This week You! takes a look at the art of Jamdani and talks to Aisha Shahid who deals in this traditional craft...
Jamdani, a word of Persian origin, is a combination of the words ‘Jam’ and ‘Dani’ meaning flower and vase respectively. Jamdani is a fabric of fine cotton muslin of Bengali origin, with coloured stripes and patterns. Jamdani work is extensive which uniquely features geometric design patterns along with plant and floral designs.
A brief history:
This art is believed to be a union of the age old cloth making techniques of Bengal and muslins which was produced by Muslims in Bengal since the 14th century. In the first half of the nineteenth century, James Taylor described the figured or flowered jamdani; in the late nineteenth century, T. N. Mukharji referred to this fabric as jamdani muslin. This art reached its zenith during Mughal rule. However, even after Mughal patronage and the consequent decline, this exotic weave still continues to be in demand because of its elegance and artistic finish.
Present day colours and patterns:
The designs and colours have also changed with time. Originally, the motifs used to be made on gray fabric. Later on fabrics of other colours were also used. In the 1960s, jamdani work on red fabric became very popular. The traditional nilambari, dyed with indigo, or designs such as toradar (literally: a bunch or bouquet) preserved in weaving families over generations are now being reproduced. Other jamdani patterns are known as phulwar, usually worked on pure black, blue black, grey or off-white background colours. However, now the colours are no longer restricted to the off-white, grey and indigo palette of yore; Jamdani is now available in a variety of vibrant hues and now can be woven with a combination of silk and cotton or even just silk. The production methods have also changed. Previously, popcorn, rice or barley was used for starch. These days weavers buy fine yarn from the market and use chemical dyes instead of herbal dyes.
With love from Lahore
Inspired with the beauty of jamdani work, Aisha Shahid, a Lahore-based entrepreneur, decided to launch her own label -’Jamdani’ - consists of jamdani hand-tex fabric. She along with her husband Shahid opened two outlets in Lahore last year - one is located at Fortress Square Mall while the other one is situated near mini market Gullberg. According to Aisha, “The special feature of our clothing line is our fabric. We design our own fabric in khadi, cotton, silk and pure jamawar. It is the most artistic fabric. The motifs are hand woven into the fabric using supplementary weft technique of weaving. The other important aspect is our designs which are very unique and different from the available traditional designs on the market. So the uniqueness is our very special feature whether it is fabric or design.”
While explaining her clothing line Aisha says, “We follow a holistic approach. It is a mix of embroidered, plain, casual and formal wear. Although we blend all, our product line is more formal than casual and more embroidered than plain.”
Though their brand is only a year old, the response they have been getting is enormous. She believes that innovative ideas and designs always sell. And if the designer has potential, there is always a place for such designer in the market. As far as Aisha and Shahid’s future plans are concerned, they are coming up with their lawn line soon and will try to build ‘jamadani’ a recognizable name in the market. 
