Textiles and Dress of Gujarat

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 been all been the subjects of this 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 handmade fabrics, woven, dyed, painted and printed cloth, and embroidery, and locates their place in culture and trade. It also acknowledges the role of entrepreneurship in the survival of these handmade textiles.