Indian Handlooms get global makeover at Femina Miss India pageant
The Ministry of Textiles and NIFT unveiled the "Vishwa Sutra" collection at the 61st Femina Miss India in Bhubaneswar, showcasing 30 handloom weaves from across India reinterpreted with design inspirations from 30 countries. The initiative aims to position Indian handlooms as globally relevant while preserving their authenticity.
New Delhi: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Indian handlooms were presented with contemporary global designs at the 61st Femina Miss India in Bhubaneswar on Saturday, unveiled as part of the “Vishwa Sutra — Weaves of India for the World” collection.
The initiative was led by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India and National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).
It brought together 30 distinct handloom weaves from across the country, each representing a different state, and reinterprets them through inspirations drawn from 30 countries, reflecting diverse cultural elements, silhouettes, and design sensibilities.
“Vishwa Sutra represents a strategic effort to position Indian handlooms as globally relevant and design-forward, while retaining their authenticity. It also reflects the depth and continuity of India’s handloom traditions — techniques preserved and refined across generations, forming an integral part of the country’s living cultural heritage,” the Textiles Ministry stated.
Curated through global fashion lenses, the collection paired Indian weaves with distinct cultural silhouettes — Odisha Ikat with Greek forms, Kanchipuram with Norwegian lines, Muga with Egyptian elements, Patola with Spanish influences, and Banarasi with UAE-inspired ensembles — bringing a fresh design perspective to India’s handloom vocabulary, it said.
