Ikat Ikat Everywhere, But Nary A Real One!

Indigo Handloom Denim Ikat

The process of ikat weaving is what inspired me to start Indigo Handloom. 

I was drawn in by this intricate technique where the threads of the fabric are dyed into a design before the endless bundles of threads are put onto the loom.  My first visit to a handloom village was one of the last remaining areas which specialized in 'real' ikat. I stood there dumbfounded as I watched weavers and dyers working together - almost all of them illiterate - to create the most intricate designs of ikat I'd ever seen. 


I've seen Yemeni ikat hanging in museums in Boston, shopped south American style in markets in Peru and seen Thai ikat hanging in shops in Manhattan - but none of it had this level of sophistication and precision.  I think it's safe to say that I know my ikat!

Even while India has the most amazing handweaving skill of any place I've ever seen - ikat is among the most difficult skill to master. When you look at true ikat, imagine someone drawing out the design in their mind  - they don't even map it out ahead of time - and then dyeing each thread in the correct place so that when the thread is woven into the fabric, it sits next to the following thread and the dyed design matches up perfectly.  All this design expertise and artistry - is done from knowledge handed down generations and it still exists in some handloom villages. 

So when the current trend of ikat came about - I was initially excited because I thought it might revive this industry - which like all handloom - is in decline. Unfortunately, the meaning of the word 'ikat' has been completely misunderstood by the West. 

Much like the word 'pashmina' which now seems to mean a large scarf or 'wrap' - not the original meaning which described a kind of fine cashmere wool found in the Indian state of Kashmir and the products made from this handwoven material. 'Real' pashmina shawls cost thousands, but if you ask any New Yorker where to get a 'pashmina' they will point you to the stalls that sell them in a rainbow of colors for 10-bucks each. This polyester junk is not pashmina - but it's hard to argue once a word's meaning has denigrated to this degree.   

At least Wikipedia got it right! 

"Ikat' has the same problem.  Designer Oscar de la Renta deserves so much credit for starting this trend by going to UUzbekistan and using real ikat in his collections. 

Indigo Handloom's Shadow Ikat in Circus

Unfortunately most of the fashion industry failed to understand that ikat was not a print, but a weave - and just stole the designs worked out by weavers around the world and stamped it as a print onto every fabric from knits to wools. Today if you ask people about ikat, they will assume you want printed fabric. 

Sigh

This would be great but while the world is in love with 'ikat' the same villagers who created the designer are all abandoning their looms because of the lack of work. I don't normally let fashion trends give me anxiety but I'm well aware of how quickly this skill can disappear - not because of the lack of interest in the marketplace - but because of simple ignorance about the process.Those ikat prints are costing the jobs of the very people who developed the designs. 

Indigo Handloom's Shadow Ikat in Graphic

So - now is your  chance to stop being part of the ignorant masses! How to tell if you are purchasing a 'real' ikat or just a cheap imitation print?  Flip the fabric - if the design is equally as vibrant on both sides - that means that is a true yarn-dyed 'ikat.'  

At Indigo Handloom, we are trying to revive ikat into our line of scarves and fabrics. Check out our latest offerings of Denim Ikat,  Ikat Shadow in Circus and in Graphic black and white!