Colour, count and contrast. If you are looking for variety in pure cotton weaves, look no further than Mangalagiri – the small weaving district in Andhra Pradesh that made it to the big league.
Mangalagiri cotton is a versatile, lightweight, seasonal fabric that is globally demanded and known for its simple patterns and designs. Mangalagiri is a combination of beautiful colors and contrast borders. Mangalgiri cotton is one of the most cool, comfortable and a hand woven cotton fabric in a palette of striking motifs and designs. It offers a unique range of textiles from a single weaving cluster. This fabric is in high demand among designers, garment manufacturers who cater young generation people who prefer traditional yet modern blend of cotton salwar kameez.
Due to the presence of cotton yarns in the fabric, Mangalgiri is a durable and sustainable cotton fabric. It is famous for its beautiful range of mangalgiri sarees and salwar kameez . Mangalgiri fabrics can also be produced in silk and made into sarees or salwar kameez and are used for special occasions such as weddings and for religious festivals. The use of Mangalagiri cotton fabric and zari was once limited only to the borders, but nowadays, zari work is a major attraction for various motifs on the fabrics. The use of various motifs is done with such finesse that it accentuates the overall appeal of the fabric.
Mangalgiri is one of the finest fabrics in handloom cotton in India. It is known for its quality and extraordinary feel of the material. Generally, motifs on Mangalagiri cotton fabrics are geometrical and simple and they are inspired from tribal design. Nowadays there are paisley and flowers motifs are also used with zari designs to create attraction for the new generation.
There are as lot of challenges faced by the designers and weavers in giving Mangalagiri salwar kameez, a modern twist. Apart from attractive sarees, Mangalgiri salwar kameez is also globally demanded in recent times. Highlighted ethnic designs are in a great demand for Mangalgiri fabric in the present scenario. Currently, Mangalgiri salwar kameez is in demand for its simple minded patterns, the usage of hand paints, kalamkari, ikkat or tie dye on the fabric, tough and durable behavior of cotton yarns and striking color palette. Women of all age have a sudden inclination towards Mangalgiri fabrics.
For all the zest-filled fashion lovers around, it is a known fact that with a little something on the eyes and lips, propped up by some footwear and accessories, all dresses can instantly be glammed up for a party or changed for a nice garden walk. Such is the case with Mangalgiri salwar kameez, kurtas or dupattas. Although not conventional, it is something that will charm everyone around for there is a lot of creativity involved. With its rich ethnic colours and subtle style, it surely is the right way forward in terms of funky indo- western apparel.
What’s more, old Mangalgiri sarees can also be transformed into beautiful salwar kameez outfits! Recycling at its final form!
Mangalagiri salwar kameez materials are often produced in silk and worn on special traditional occasions.Mangalgiri fabric is suitable for summer clothing. The weaver of silk is as fine as cotton fabric. Mangalgiri sarees posses a thick border that is usually woven in a zari, making it a preferred wedding wears in many communities. Mangalgiri sarees are adorned with traditional motifs such as paisleys and flowers. Women, who prefer cotton salwar kameez with silk embroidered work for simple functions, often opt for mangalgiri cotton salwar kameez or sarees. Modern motifs on mangalgiri salwar kameez are a new style statement and makes the wearer stand out from the rest on the particular occasion.
Balamba says, “The sheer range which these fabrics offer is unparalleled. Additionally, the attractive use of zari, along with varied colour combinations, makes it even more popular. The fabrics are affordable and the colours do not bleed which adds to its popularity.” The weavers use basic designs but incorporate some striking colour combinations such as baby pink with a magenta border, maroon with mustard stripes, olive green with navy blue and so on. Another speciality of Mangalgiri salwar kameez are the Nizam border. The nizam border typically has tiny zari gopurs (temple tops), which run through the borders of many fabrics. But it is in shot cotton that the real magic happens making your Mangalgiri salwar kameez fascinating and traditionally ethnic.
Nowadays weavers are not afraid to experiment with the fabric to create trendy kurtas or dupattas or salwar fabrics as the generation changes the taste of people also change accordingly. Zari was initially used only on the borders of the fabric. Today it is used in the entire length of the fabric to resemble the classic tissue work which is currently in trend now. Another innovation is single ikat weaving, to get ikat like motifs on the fabric which has the look traditional yet modern ethnicity. The Mangalgiri weavers are also experimenting with pure cotton motif borders, like kalamkari. Tie and dye yarns are also woven in to give a unique effect to the fabrics. It is the willingness of the weavers to experiment with patterns, colours and styles that make these Mangalgiri salwar kameez stand out in an increasingly crowded textile market.
There are wide range of Mangalgiri cotton Dupattas. In tie dye , kalamkari, ikkat prints and zari borders that is suitable for a variety of salwar kameez and kurta sets. Immersed in rich art and culture of painstakingly drawing motifs of flowers, animals, paisleys, vines figurines and tales of Mahabharta and Ramanaya on Mangalgiri Cotton and Cotton Silk with a kalam, further applauded with select craftsmanship like kalamkari, tie dye or ikkat, hand paints. Artisans paint stories on a plain fabric canvas, dip the pen in natural dyes, draw designs, dapple it with some hand blocks and fill colors to achieve the final output. An artisan takes around 10-15 days to create a single piece of Mangalgiri Dupatta and goes through tedious steps dyeing, printing, hand-painting, starching, cleaning and more. Since the fabric is extremely summery in nature, teaming them with any suit is going to add a verve to your outfit. The classic check weaves come out really well on the dupattas and instantly give a rich look and feel of Indian Handloom! If you want to go for a scarf, a little touch of fusion with tassels or pom-poms hooked on the edges, can amplify your look!
A heavenly summer saver, an inspiration for many designers, beautiful in touch and looks, Mangalgiri handloom is what we need in our designs now!
