Homegrown Textile Traditions That Honour A True Indian Summer

Exploring homegrown textile traditions that honour a true Indian summer.

- Vinita Makhija

In fashion parlance, we use the term 'Spring/Summer' for the months March through July. In India, the seasons have their own names Vasant (spring), Grishma (summer), and Varsha (monsoon). After all, India experiences three different seasons across five months, whereas most western countries experience only two. It is no wonder, then, that while the bikini, bright pops of colours, or serotonin-pumping prints are all nice ideas for summers, they are also blanket, global diktats for what should be in trend for 'warmer' months. These ideas, in a post-pandemic world, seem reminiscent of a redundant fashion and weather calendar. As we battle climate changes, elongated summers, and heatwaves, solutions and conversations around clothing and fashion focus urgently on the homegrown and hyperlocal. Clothes that keep us cool have to feel good, and our Indian textiles have always held ancient wisdom.