Publication Date: February 1, 2011
The textiles and dress of Gujarat in northwestern India are acclaimed for their design and craftsmanship. The sophisticated weaves, dyeing techniques, intricate embroideries, vibrant motifs and embellished dress, and the communities to which many of these are unique, have all been the subjects of extensive documentation. Textiles and dress play a central role in the construction of a visual identity of Gujarat and its people. This book examines the 'social life' of Gujarat's textiles, tracing the historical journey of cloth and dress up to the present day. It looks closely at dyed and painted textiles, and embroidery, and locates their place in culture, trade and commerce, and the role of entrepreneurship in the survival of these handmade textiles.
Eiluned Edwards has been researching and production and consumption of textiles and dress in India for 20 years. She was a senior research fellow at the V&A/London College of Fashion and is now a senior lecturer in Design and Visual Culture at Nottingham Trent University.
