Apparel April 2019 Apparel April 2019 issue | Page 54

because of impurities in the dye colour. Getting
a 100 per cent organic dye today is difficult. This
technique is highly labour-intensive; hence, the
dependability and absence of uniformity make it
challenging. Being a natural printing method, it
is difficult to replicate the exact same print twice
and this makes large-scale production a little
troublesome.” Designer Sayantan Sarkar says,
“Due to the increase in demand of chemical
colours and screen prints, the value of Dabu print
has decreased with time, and as the days are
passing, people are losing their interest in this art
form due to it being a delicate, slow process, and
also the cost of it is higher than the other forms
of prints.”
LOOKING AHEAD
The textile industry is moving as quickly as the
fashion industry and Dabu printing is used to
create a lot of different designs and patterns in
48
I APPAREL I
April 2019
FEATURE
both industries. Currently, Dabu print, depending
on the design and aesthetic, is used for all
types of garments and in all kinds of fabrics.
Apart from the absorbent and resilient cotton
fabrics which are most commonly used for this
technique, fabrics like silk, crepe and georgette
have become very popular amongst Dabu
artisans. In the earlier days, Dabu printing was
used exclusively in cotton saris. Slowly, it became
very popular amongst the craftsmen for saris of
all fabrics like silk, crepe and georgette. “These
fabrics are used as they can hold the designs
and colours very well. Dabu print is now being
used in many Indian apparel items like dresses,
kurtis, salwar kameez, shirts, tunics, scarves,
stoles, shawls, etc. This is not only restricted to
apparel; it’s also catching up and is being used in
handbags, fashion jewellery, etc. It’s great to see
that Dabu which is known as an Indian traditional
print is now being exported to Western countries
too, where it will soon be seen on trousers, etc.
The vibrant colours and unique designs used
in this printing are being liked by people,” avers
Pooja Dahiya Dhankar, Fashion Consultant,
Co-founder, Salesforever Stores. Designer Asha
Gautam adds, “Dabu printing decorates high-end
saris made of fine cotton fabrics like Maheshwari
cotton. Nowadays, they are used for all types of
garments and in all kinds of fabrics. In particular,
silk, crepe and georgette have become very
popular, mainly because they hold the print
designs and colours well.”