Ajrakh is an ancient block-printing craft that originates from Gujarat, renowned for its intricate geometric patterns and eco-friendly dyeing process. Nitya Bajaj reimagines this traditional art by incorporating modern silhouettes, creating timeless, sustainable fashion that resonates with both younger generations and heritage enthusiasts. Her work elevates Ajrakh to a new level of sophistication in both menswear and womenswear.
Bajaj has tried blending traditional craftsmanship with contemporary designs. Her eponymous label focuses on luxurious, handcrafted pieces that highlight India’s rich cultural heritage, particularly through the use of artisanal techniques like Ajrakh.
Q 1. What challenges did you face while adapting the intricate Ajrakh craft to menswear, and how did you overcome them?
Ajrakh craft is unique and intricate. The Ajrakh patterns were created by re-imagining the wooden blocks into a more geometric design. Florals were replaced with lines, circles, rhombus, and shapes like paisleys and stars. It was challenging to create masculine ajrakh patterns in jewel tones for men, but we truly enjoyed the process of creating new wooden blocks exclusively for our men’s collection.
Q 2. Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in today’s time, especially in fashion. How are you incorporating sustainable practices into your design process?
Ajrakh is a completely sustainable process. From working with natural fibers like cotton and silk and using wooden blocks in natural dyes along with the process involving dipping the fabric in castor oil, soda ash, and camel or goat dung, the multiple stages are environmentally friendly. The history of Ajrakh believes in passing the legacy of the fabric from its cluster down to its generations. We are happy to support this sustainable craft of India and also believe in creating outfits that can be used in multiple ways and reused with time in this timeless craft. The brand also consciously promotes in exploration of non-plastic, recycled paper packaging for our products.
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Q 3. In what ways do you see the younger generation embracing traditional crafts like Ajrakh through your designs?
We have seen the young spirited women and men, re-visiting our cultural heritage and experimenting with them in clothing. Young brides come to us asking us to re-purpose and revamp their mother/grandmother’s wedding outfits as they wish to carry their legacy and story further.
At Nitya Bajaj, We are proud to represent and re-purpose this craft of Ajakh to our young spirited clientele. We thank the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises for acknowledging our work in this field and helping us uplift and encourage our ajrakh clusters in generating employment opportunities through our design process. We try and use this Traditional craft in Modern-day, contemporary silhouettes. The brand has introduced Ajrakh in Modern pantsuits, corsets, resort sets, tassel coverups, bustiers, shararas, and concept sarees. Nitya Bajaj recently designed Ajrakh for actress Janhavi Kapoor for her South Movie Devara as well.
Q 4. How do you ensure that the artisans’ heritage is respected while giving the collection a contemporary, luxurious appeal?
LabelNityaBajaj has been working very closely with the ajrakh karigars in Gujarat and Surat. Ashfaq Ahamed, one of our key Ajrakh Karigar is more like family. He often suggests us new color combinations and acts as a part of our design team. We are proud of the colors and prints they develop as they are a part of our design process. I love seeing the final output. They celebrated when they saw their prints, designed for Jahnavi Kapoor for the movie Devara. They saved pictures and cuttings of the actress and proudly claimed, this is my print! We make sure the print maintains its essence and also makes a base for our signature sequin hand embroidery.
Q 5. What message or emotion do you hope to evoke in the audience with this Ajrakh collection during the fashion walk?
A sense of pride for our Indian craftsmanship! Our karigars tell a story through their craft, and we at Nitya Bajaj, proudly present it to the world!
Q 6. What do you believe sets your menswear festive collection apart from others in the industry, and how do you see it evolving in the future?
Our Ajrakh menswear carries unique Ajrakh prints juxtaposed together with sequin hand embroidery. Our cuts are simple as we focus on the craft and our detailing. Our ajrakh menswear for the #NBMan will be signature statement pieces this festive season making a traditional statement in modern simple cuts.
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