Pashmina
The age-old fashion statement
By Aradhika Sekhon

The beautiful vale of Kashmir has always been famed for its craftsmanship. The weaving of tapestry shawls was first introduced into the valley from Turkistan by Zain-ul-Abdin, the ruler of Kashmir, in the 15th century. Production benefitted from the patronage of the Mughal rulers like Akbar and his successors, who wore these shawls, and also because of the patronage of local governors.

The collapse of the Mughal Empire left many weavers unemployed. The situation, however, was saved by the enormous increase in demand from Europe, where the shawls became popular in the latter part of the 18th century.

At the beginning of the 19th century, foreign entreprenures started to commission shawls especially for the French market, adapting the designs to suit European taste. Indeed, Pashmina became the rage in France after Napoleon presented a rare shawl to Empress Josephine. With the progress of the century, the adaptations in designs became increasingly complex. The European market for shawls collapsed in 1870 due to a combination of factors such as changing tastes and competition from Paisley shawls. The economic prostration of France when she was defeated by Prussia added to the declining European market. The Kashmiri weavers either left the valley for Punjab or started producing embroidered shawls for tourists, mainly British officers on furlough in colonised India.

Today Kashmiri shawls are embroidered by professional men. Lately, the American market has opened to Pashmina as Americans discovered its plush, soft texture. Fashion gurus now pronounce it as essential to the wardrobe as the ubiquitous little black dress.

The term ‘Cashmere’ too originates from the Kashmir province — its fine wool had attracted worldwide attention. But there is a difference. While the Pashmina comes from the long-haired goat, Capra hircus laniger (‘Pashm’ means ‘underside’), Cashmere also refers to soft, fine wool fabric with twill weave and some similar fabric to make garments like sweaters, dresses and scarves.

Kashmiri embroidery, called kasida, is varied, rich in colour and elaborate in details and exquisite in execution. The finest kasida work in shawls has no ‘wrong’ side. Connoisseurs set great value to the embroidery that displays similar fineness of work on both sides of the shawl. The kasida patterns are drawn freely by the naqqash (the designer) mostly from memory. These are inspired by the sparkling lakes, the broad curves of the Jhelum, the breath- taking colours of the skies at sunrise and sunset over the mountains. The naqqash also draws upon poetic fancies and religious or philosophical themes, portraying them in the designs. The common motifs include floral borders, paisley, chinar leaves and buta cones.

The softer-than-Cashmere texture, the wool which grows soft with use, the countless hours of painstaking work that go into making each shawl, make the fabric very special. The Pashmina has a superbly textural feel, drapes beautifully, feels soft, warm and light to the touch and will serve a user well for years. Its timeless patterns remain eternally in vogue. In the Indian sub-continent, Pashmina are passed down from one generation to another.

To the credit of the traditional shawl-makers of Kashmir, the fine Pashmina has not been made successfully elsewhere, although attempts have been made by other countries to replicate this craft, developed into an art form by the Kashmiris. The wool offers light weight insulation without bulk. The fibres are highly adaptable and appropriate for all climates. A high moisture content allows insulation to change with the relative humidity of the atmosphere.

The price of a Pashmina may range anywhere from a few hundred rupees to several thousands of rupees, depending upon the craftsmanship and time factor involved in its creation. Pure Pashmina is a luxury even in India so local weavers combine the 12-14 micron thick Pashmina fibre with silk or angora to impart durability and lustre to the material. Although this dilutes the purity of the fabric but pure Pashmina is coarse and too delicate to wear.

Since the Americans have discovered Pashmina, it is being promoted as a staple of the wardrobe. Although anything but cheap, Pashmina is breaking out of its image of a status symbol meant for the elite. American designers like Caroline Herrera and Donaletta Versarc have incorporated and experimented with this material. The basic colours that Pashmina comes in are grey, brown and white. However, the fabric adapts itself beautifully to colouring. It is now available in approximately fifty colours and the "graduated" colour schemeis definitely ‘in’. American women are also going in for shawls with bead work and embroidery.

Terrorism in Kashmir has resulted in the weavers’ migration to other parts of India as they find it more and more difficult to practice the traditional craft of their fore-fathers in an atmosphere that pervades with the fear of death. Still, the craft survives and the Kashmiri weavers struggle on.