Hand woven textile varieties best reflect the cultural diversity that exists in India. Created over thousands of years, the pride of India has been its tapestry of textile designs and textures, whether it is Gujarat, Orissa, West Bengal or Andhra Pradesh.
 
“But today, much of this treasure is lost to time and to advances in technology. This means not only loss of skills but also loss of livelihood for millions of weavers for whom weaving is a way of life.
… there is a requirement for professional design input with changing fashion trends so that it is not a fad for one season…there is a need for continuous development of design (new yarns, new dyeing techniques)…a need for quick adaptation to changing demands… and a need to liaise with markets to understand what people want…
These are professional aspects that go into it, not just the weaver’s skills.”

Rosemary Crill - Curator of textiles at the Victoria & Albert Museum (which houses one of the largest collections of Indian textiles in the world) when asked what she thought needed to be done in order to revive traditional skills and increase and sustain overseas markets.
(Frontline Volume 19 - Issue 14, July 06 - 19, 2002).

I believe that unless we develop quality and accessibility to new markets, artisans who are disconnected will end up producing the same things again and again. I design and commission the looms, it is then my responsibility to connect with the market segment that will best appreciate and value their ongoing efforts.
 
The Maheshwari weaves represent the result of my first efforts at combining silk and wool on the looms of Maheshwar.