The Art Of POCHAMPALLY IKKAT ft. CommnSens’s Summer 24’ Collection

Just like the colorful patterns you see in modern tie-dye, the age old Ikat weaving technique has been adding style and meaning to fabrics for thousands of years.

This summer, Commnsens is excited to show you our new Summer '24 Collection. It’s a special nod to the beautiful and ancient art of Ikat weaving.

Ikat is an old way of decorating fabric that began almost 5000 years ago and is still loved around the world today—in places like India, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and Japan. Each area has its own unique style and story woven into their fabrics.

This season, we’re taking you to the charming town of Pochampally. This place is famous for its unique Ikat designs, known as Pochampally Ikat. Our new collection combines these traditional styles with a fresh, modern twist, similar to what you see in today's fashion shows by designers like Oscar de la Renta and Dries Van Noten.

The Journey: From an Idea To a Collection

Key Components of The Collection

In crafting our Summer '24 Collection, we focused on two essential elements: the quality of our materials and the expertise of our artisans. After thorough research, we chose to use only organic cotton, prioritizing the environment and avoiding animal-derived fabrics like silk.

Moreover, partnering with The Pochampally Handloom Weavers Co-operative Society, known for their mastery in Ikat since 1950, allowed us to blend their traditional techniques with our modern design ethos. 

The result is a collection that's not only eco-friendly but also rich with intricate, geometric elegance.

The Timeless Art of Ikat Weaving

We started with the journey for our summer 2024’ collection at The Pochampally Handloom Weavers Society, a co-operative of about 170 skilled weavers. They were kind enough to explain to us the entire heart and soul that goes in the process of making a beautifully patterned fabric.

To start with, we shared our vision for the Summer 24’ collection with the designer who then skillfully crafted a unique pattern and mapped it out on a graph for us. The pattern depicted the strong and fiery heat waves in the summer season.

 

This graph was then entrusted to a master dyer, who first washed the yarn religiously and then arranged them according to the graph's detailed instructions.

The dyer tied the yarns into 225 sets, meticulously following the color scheme provided by our brand. Each set was then dyed with utmost care using organic and natural dyes.

Once the dyeing process was complete, all resist bindings were removed from the yarns, and the yarns were then carefully woven into a beautiful fabric by a skilled weaver, who made sure the design comes out as mapped by the designer.

Using a power loom that, while not modern, was rich in history and tradition, the weaver spent a day and a half weaving a 25-meter length of Ikat fabric.

The meticulous tie-and-dye process resulted in stunning, intricate patterns that were one-of-a-kind.  

The Metamorphosis of Challenges into Art

We worked closely with our designers, dyers, and weavers to get our designs just right. But, we hit a snag during the dyeing process, which threw our plans off a bit.

Our team addressed this challenge with a lot of enthusiasm, keeping our fingers crossed.

The result?

A unique fabric that was different from what we expected but had a lot more potential. We turned this artsy fabric into a cool collection with Ikat patches on shirts for men and women, plus unisex shorts.

This whole process was a labor of love, propelled  by creativity and effort. The beauty of Ikat is its unpredictability; you never quite know what you'll get, but the results are always magical. 

 

 The Art Thus Created 

After all the hustle and passion of our amazing team, the results exceeded our initial expectations. Everything came together so well that we’re truly in love with what we’re offering to our Commn Sens Club.

AS THE JOURNEY ENDS:

Each piece of clothing that you decide to purchase from Summer ‘24 Collection has within it the power of heat waves and the hard work of many different workers. This collection isn’t just about the clothes looking good (it does) but feeling good about the clothes and the impact. 

We invite you to explore this unique ensemble of tradition and modernity on our website. Each purchase not only adds a distinctive piece to your wardrobe but also supports the artisans and promotes sustainable practices in the fashion industry.