Designer Vaishali Shadangule's collection this Amazon India Fashion Week Spring Summer 16, Yajna, the Woven Universe, was based on the simple concept of Fabric as thread, and Thread as fabric ... Sounds simple, doesn't it ? ... But to most Indians, the term "Yajna" (literal meaning sacrifice) is the central concept of "Shrota" ... the tradition that follows from the "Shruti" (theVedas) ..... The Hindu Vedas define Yajna as more than the mere connotation that the English word "Sacrifice" carries .... Yajna, derived from the root word "Yaj" (to worship) is thus described in the Gita : "All life is said to be a yajña. Every action, when made as an offering to the Īśvara (God/deity), is a yajña. Worshipping, eating food, fighting war, creating wealth, contributing to human knowledge, running family, each of these is a yajña. Doing these as offerings to derive something greater, makes these actions yajñas. When these actions are not done for material gain but with a selfless motive, that is the highest form of yajña. Sacrifice brings transcendence (a state of being beyond the limits of material experience).Transcendence through sacrifice is the meaning of life in the Vedic religion."
 The designer in her press note says of Yagna SS16 The Woven Universe : "the collection is an effort to interpret vedic concepts through Indian hand woven textiles and unique modern silhouettes" .... The term "Universe" itself is a construct of the human mind ... Science and modern philosophy based on rational theories, are just that ... Theories, not proof, of how we came about .... How the idea of the Universe as we know it, took shape .... out of the millions of human thoughts that wove it into a story defined by chronological time and space !! ... So if we are to paraphrase the thoughts as the Threads ... the resultant idea of the Universe is the Fabric ... and vice versa ... If the Universe is a thought, constructed out of millenniums of thought processes ... the Fabric can also be a Thread, constructed out of millions of threads .... in action as a thread, in the bigger canvass of the fabric ... Everything is connected, everything is one ... and Vaishali S has brought this Vedic concept alive in her collection ... Her ensembles are a homage to the eternal thread, and every outfit and accessory is designed to reflect this worship of the woven universe !!

Vaishali S Yajna SS16 The Woven Universe : Collection

"We often feel a relation or connection with our surroundings whether it is Nature, animals, or humans. We all are different parts of a larger universe and a bigger cosmos. Thus, we are interconnected. Many souls on the earth have evolved themselves to a greater level, where they have witnessed the connection and design of the universe and have experienced YAJÑA.
The YAJNA is the transformation of one form of energy into another. The world we exist in is said to be the YAJÑA of the ubiquitous One, a portion of God turned inside out. Thus it is the sacrifice of Its Oneness that allows for the appearance of multiplicity we play in and enjoy.
The universe is interwoven in the vaults of heaven on shuttle wheels, backwards and forwards by the thread extended, drawn out, spreading on every side, the acts of hundred ‘gods’- the world is woven.
The concept guided me to a new perception and eye for the textiles. When a thread sacrifices its individuality then it becomes fabric. Still, it exists in the soul of the FABRIC.
To symbolise, I have treated fabric as thread and sometimes thread as fabric and have tried to create a play of oneness in contrast with multiplicity.
During the process, the natural flow of the fabric smoothly settles at different portions of the garment, which allows us to understand and perceive it with our own interpretation.
Different layers in the garment travel through unfinished underneath layer to the clean and finished outer layer to interpret the stages of consciousness.
Often portions in the garment, which initially appear separate, are slowly revealed interconnected.
Colours of the collection weave a story out of royal blue, deep black, pale white, milk white and smoke grey.
The collection includes various fabrics from MAHESHWAR (Madhya Pradesh). Khadi gently transforms into asymmetric drapes with free flowing ends.
The unique and naturally forming shapes, flow, folds and spontaneity is been achieved through the unconventional silhouettes.
The collection is a contemporary portrayal of the timelessness of Yajna. It’s an attempt to share and express my experience of YAJNA with the viewer." - Vaishali S. Press Notes

Vaishali S Yajna SS16 The Woven Universe : Details

Truth be told, for the first time, i could not decide if i should put the details first, the close ups, or the runway looks in sequence ... As someone, already excitingly impressed about a designer collection that tickles my intellectual fancy ... i want to hold your hands and take you through the collection step by step dear readers .... Share with you the wonderful journey of thought and philosophy i embarked on, while deconstructing this collection .... But that would be a disservice to your enjoyment as a fabric or fashion lover :) ... These handspun, handwoven articles of beauty with no other embellishment except the simple thread .... layered, twisted, draped, latticed ... are a visual delight !! ... Sometimes, the patterns are like Contour Maps of the Topography and Geography classes of my childhood ... Or the inner imperfect circles of the stump of an old Tree .... Sometimes, threads hang like waterfalls off a cliff of weaves .... or the edges of a blazingly fiery fire, flickering and changing shape with every movement of the fabric ... Or just trail at a Saree edge like a beautiful mane of a galloping horse !! .... The texturing is entirely inspired from Nature as you can see ... A few favourites, i have worked on with painstaking layers on Lightroom ... just to highlight the gorgeousness of details !! .... A white saree made with cotton and silk threads, handwoven in Maheshwar with black checks on the border and gold border made with zari, with a black Chanderi blouse with knots on the sleeves, and woven checks fabric detail on the lower side of the sleeves .... A dress made with handwoven khadi from Maheshwar, with knots detailing ... A jacket made of handwoven silk with knots detailing at the back .... A biscuit colour drape created with handwoven gold checkered silk fabric with a peplum fit jacket ... And a pristine white Khadi draped like a thread around the body, which also happens to be Vaishali's favourite :)

Vaishali S Yajna SS16 The Woven Universe AIFW Indian Fashion

Hope you enjoyed our presentation of Vaishali S Yajna SS16 The Woven Universe ... Vaishali S the label is on the following social media channels :

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Until next time xx

DSB