India's rich cultural tapestry has always been a source of inspiration for Indian designers. Various Indian craft techniques have earned a place in the couture world. Among the various Indian crafts, bandhani or bandage has remained timeless. Bandhani is derived from the Sanskrit word bandha, which means “to tie”. It is made by tying the fabric with small knots to prevent dyeing and is also known as resist dyeing.
This traditional technique dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization, when tie-dyed textiles were discovered during excavations at Mohenjo Daro and Harappa.
This traditional technique dates back to the Indus Valley Civilisation, with tie-dyed textiles found during excavations at Mohenjo Daro and Harappa. However, the technique was brought to India by the Khatri tribe, who migrated from the Sindh region. Bandhani is now experiencing a revival in wedding couture. From Anita Dongre’s recent campaign featuring bridal lehengas made with the Bandhani technique to Kunal Rawal introducing Bandhani to menswear at India Couture Week 2024, the craft is certainly garnering attention in the fashion world. Actress Aditi Rao Hydari was also recently seen wearing a Raw Mango Bandhani saree at stylist Eka Lakhani’s engagement ceremony, displaying her love for the technique. The ladies of the Ambani family all wore beautiful Bandhani sarees at Anant and Radhika’s lavish wedding from Gul Chola to Chandrakani.
“Indian designers take inspiration from our vibrant and rich heritage. Bandhani or bandheji is a technique that inspires me as it is visually appealing. As this technique is primarily focused on women's wear, I wanted to bring it into men's wear as well and have used it on kurtas and bandhgalas. While bright shades like red, green, yellow and pink are common in bandhani, we tried to create bandhani in mushroom, olive and dark wine shades. These are colours that are not seen much in bandhani today,” says designer Kunal Rawal.
When asked if bandhani prints have been accepted among men too, he said, “We offer a contemporary interpretation of bandhani and our customers love it. People now prefer to go back to their roots and wearing this age-old technique is a unique tribute to their traditions.”
This technique requires great skill and the entire process is carried out using fingertips, iron nails and silk threads, so respect must also be shown to the weavers and artisans' skill.
“Bandhani also comes in different patterns – one with one knot is called Ekdari, three knots is called Trikunti and four knots is called Chaubandi. Another reason for bandhani's popularity is that it is perfectly in line with the principles of ethical and sustainable fashion. And with most people gravitating towards conscious clothing, it is only natural to celebrate this beautiful technique in couture,” suggests designer Riddhima Gupta.
This season, the couture market is flooded with Bandhani lehengas and saris. “Bandhani lehengas are a labour-intensive craft and can easily take six to eight months to make,” says designer Siddhartha Bansal.
