Fabrics From The Desert Land-The Kota Doria, Spotlight Of Fashion, Fashionable Garments, Fibre2fashion

Rajasthan is a land of rippling sand dunes, picturesque architecture, and majestic forts. Colorful, incredibly attractive and yet simple state. Located in the south east of Rajasthan, on the banks of river Chambal is 'Kota' a small district, which is infamous for its exclusive and incredibly delicate Kota saris. Originally, these fabrics were woven in Mysore, and hence were called 'Masuria'. Later, the weavers were brought to Kota during the late 17^th century, and the fabrics started gaining popularity. These fabrics are known as 'Masuria' in Kota and as 'Kotadoria' outside the state.

The 'Kota Doria':

'Doria' means thread. It is woven from silk yarn and cotton in a different combination of warp and weft with an exclusive check pattern in the weave itself, which is known as 'khat'. The khats are present in the basic fabric itself, and are woven in a very skillful way that the fabric looks transparent. This is a hallmark and a unique feature of the doria fabric, which has made it an exclusive handloom product.

The doria fabric can be made in a series of steps. First is the 'Pre Loom' process, where a traditional process is followed to spin the yarn. Under this process of weaving, peg warping and brush sizing is done. Rice paste and onion juice is applied to the yarn so as to make it strong. Then is the application of dyes. Dyes are mixed in proper proportion by traditional dyers to give a contemporary look to the fabrics. Mostly vegetable or vat dyes are used making the process eco friendly. The final step is 'Design and Weaving', where weaving is generally done through pit looms using the shuttle technique. The designs are made in the cloth using Jacquards, or dobbys. Dobby is used for ground motifs and pallus, while jacquards are used for making exquisite borders on the saris. This handicraft provides living for more than 2,500 weaver families working on pit hand looms.

Kota Doria at the spotlight of Fashion:

A wide range of fashionable garments like saris, suits, stoles, scarves, and furnishings are made with this fabric. The delicate and porous nature of the fabric makes it more convenient for surface ornamentation techniques like batik, tie-and-dye, embroidery, and appliqué work. Today, both Indian and international fashion designers are depicting a range of Kota Doria products in their collections. These fabrics have paved their way into the ramp shows as well. Bibi Russel, a model and fashion designer, whose name is well known in the European fashion world, has built an international reputation for these fabrics. She has displayed her collections designed with the Kota Doria fabric, which has earned a global fame for the fabric. This also proves that fashion can also be used as a means of socio economic transformation for the poorer sections of the society.

The magical land of Rajasthan is bestowed with several captivating features since time immemorial. Kota Doria woven with the 'magical fingers' by the craftsman of Rajasthan is now one of the favorite choices of fashionist, with its demand growing in the domestic and the international market.

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