Madras Legacies in South India

Today, South Indian handloom weavers still make Madras cloth in much the same ways as their 18th and 19th century predecessors even as industrially-manufactured Madras is now more common. Yet, 'Real Madras Handkerchiefs', or RMHK, hand-woven in South India, retain their cachet both in Indian fashion and abroad, in the face of many challenges to continue handloom weaving in India. In contrast to machine-made Madras, handloom Madras is treasured for the 'imperfections' that distinguish it as authentically hand-made. Contemporary designer Kavita Parmar of the IOU clothing brand seeks to celebrate handmade Madras by documenting the work of the people who make it, including that of weaver V. Elumalai, pictured here. The lungi continues to be a popular domestic clothing item in South India retaining and expanding the design aesthetics of the Madras fabric.