THE HISTORY OF FLORAL PATTERNED INDIAN CLOTHES

Indian clothes have always had an alluring quality, whether it being because of the vibrant and rich colours, the exquisite craftsmanship or the beautiful and sensuous fabrics. Indian textiles have been sought after for centuries. The Romans marvelled at the Indian muslins describing them as ‘woven air’. When the Europeans landed on the shores of India it was not only the rich spices that excited them but also the colourful dyes, high quality materials and floral patterns. The Floral patterns used in Indian clothes were so popular that by 1600 a particular type of floral patterned textile called Chintz, which was influenced by the Mughal art and the decorative traditions in Islamic art, was being imported into England. This floral textile was in such high demand that by 1680 more than a million pieces of chintz were imported per year. Although where did these traditional floral designs originate? And why were they so popular in India?

Firstly it was during the reign of Jahangir between 1605 and 1627 that Mughal decorative arts came into their own as a fully developed form of creative expression. Jahangir’s went on a trip to Kashmir in 1620 where he was overwhelmed by the beauty of the flower-filled valleys. After this trip, Jahangir commissioned paintings and decorative objects incorporating floral motifs.

The Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan who ruled between 1628 and 1658 also had a fascination for floral imagery and he instigated the painting of flowering plants for the next two centuries. The floral motifs during this period became more stylized. These patterns were incorporated into textiles, decorative objects and painted on manuscripts but also used in architecture for example the extensive floral decorations on the Taj Mahal.

The floral motifs used in Indian textiles are still prominent today as we can see it clearly used to decorate Indian clothes and used to style Indian jewellery. A great example of a designer using floral patterns to create glamorous and elegant Indian clothes is Myoho whose designs are relaxed and organic with delicate, splendid printed floral patterns.