Wearing a gorgeous purple handloom saree, Dia Mirza is a vision of elegance
Dia Mirza is an advocate for all things natural and sustainable. She is an eco-investor and a Goodwill Ambassador UNEP, UN Secretary Generals Advocate for SDGs. Today on national handloom day, Dia Mirza posted a series of pictures of herself draped in beautiful handloom wear made by the weavers of India.?
Dia chose a gorgeous purple silk saree looking absolutely radiating. Writing about her love for Indian garments, she wrote, "Over the years, it has been my absolute privilege to celebrate handwoven garments. This #NationalHandloomDay let¡¯s continue to support and empower our artisans. The hands that weave timeless stories."
Not just in a purple saree, Dia who has always been vocal for local, wore a beautiful block print kurta and skirt along with a full thread work shawl.?
?Playing a sitar in the next one, Dia sure looks mesmerising in a blue garment. Speaking about the handloom industry, Dia wrote, ¡°The textile industry is one of the largest sources of employment generation in the country, with over 45 million people employed directly, including a large number of women and the rural population. As per the Fourth All India Handloom Census 2019-20, India has 35,22,512 handloom workers, out of which over 70% of weavers and allied workers are female. Similarly, out of the total 31.45 Lakh households involved in handloom activities, 88.7% of weaver households are in rural areas. Thus, the handloom sector is an important medium for empowering women and rural India.¡±
Dia wrote about sustainable clothing and how this is actually global goals. she mentions about the different styles, designs and techniques used in Indian handlooms.?"Different parts of India have distinct styles. Some of them are Bagh, Batik, Chanderi and Maheshwari of Madhya Pradesh; Baranasi Brocades, Zardozi, Chikankari of Uttar Pradesh; Baluchari, Tangail, Jamdani of West Bengal; Kasargod, Kannur, Kuthampully of Kerala; Pochampally, Gadwal of Telangana; Patola, Bhujodi, Ajrakh, Bandhej, Tangaliya, Mata Ni Pachedi, Ashavali, and Kutch and Kathiawar embroidery from Gujarat, and traditional designs from Assam and Manipur like?the Phenek and Tongam. Some of the techniques used in Indian handloom are weaving, embroidery, dyeing, printing, etc.¡±
She even took us back to when this all started, the weaving and dyes.?¡°As per the Victoria and Albert Museum, the world¡¯s leading museum of art and design, the earliest surviving Indian cotton threads date to around 4000 BC, and dyed fabrics from India are documented as far back as 2500 BC."
