Narsapur crochet popular in European fashion
Hyderabad: Delicate and intricate, feminine and graceful, a fine web of imagination… lace has always had romantic connotations throughout time and history. Crochet lace is something we have perhaps seen our grandmothers and mothers working with great pride. These wonderful women sat by a window creating gifts of love for their children and grandchildren in […]
Hyderabad: Delicate and intricate, feminine and graceful, a fine web of imagination… lace has always had romantic connotations throughout time and history. Crochet lace is something we have perhaps seen our grandmothers and mothers working with great pride.
These wonderful women sat by a window creating gifts of love for their children and grandchildren in the form of blankets, table covers, ponchos, and tea cosies. You must all have that one crochet lace piece in the family you have preserved made by someone you love, isn’t it?
My bet is, you must know then about the famous Narsapur crochet of Andhra Pradesh. What started in the 1800s by Irish Missionaries who landed in the Godavari region has grown into a bustling export industry over 150 years. Yes, crochet lace in India is as old as that!
Narsapur crochet lace has found great demand in Europe, especially the UK and France, and in countries like Japan and the USA; almost 85 per cent of the local production is exported. Many Western celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker and Rihanna have repeatedly brought hot crochet pieces back into fashion. Fashion’s high priests like Dolce & Gabbana and Christian Dior have used crochet in their designs.
The Hippie movement spawned a boom in the crochet industry — an era when many people made and flaunted colourful crochet clothing. Even today, it’s seen as cool summer and spring wear, great for the beach and must-haves at iconic spring music festivals such as Coachella.
There are easily over 100 crochet export houses in Narsapur that employ over 1.5 lakh women crafters, mainly from the Kaapu community. These women were traditionally not sent out of the home to work. So after their housework, these women sat at home crocheting instead of sitting idle. They crochet at home and view it as a hobby even today, even though the number of women crocheting is slowly decreasing. The industry is not without problems. China’s machine-made lace has taken a toll on this handicraft industry. Adding to the woes, the pandemic caused a massive disruption, by freezing exports.
Now, as the new world order settles down post pandemic, European markets open up and the demand for Narsapur crochet lace picks up again, it is my strong belief that a simple move can provide a fillip to this flagging industry – granting this inimitable handwork a GI (geographical indication) tag. It will ensure that this craft will see a resurgence of interest, withstand the onslaught of machine-made duplicates, and provide an assurance to the artisan back home that their handiwork is being recognised and appreciated.
(The writer is a handloom, handicraft enthusiast, and an active member of the Crafts Council. Instagram handle: @rajeswariramachander)
Rajeswari Ramachander