When textiles tell stories, they do more than clothe — they connect culture, craft, and identity. This year at London Fashion Week, one such story will be boldly told: Tamil Nadu designer Vino Supraja is bringing Bhavani jamakkalam — a handwoven rug fabric steeped in history — to the international runway, transformed into handbags and contemporary silhouettes.

What is Bhavani Jamakkalam?

The Bhavani jamakkalam is a traditional woven textile native to Bhavani in the Erode district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is commonly used as rugs, blankets, or mats, and is distinguished by bold stripes in hues of red, blue, green, and earthy tones. Wikipedia

Recognized under India’s Geographical Indication registry (2005–06), the jamakkalam has long been part of local households, but its presence in contemporary fashion has been limited — until now.

The Designer & Her Vision

Vino Supraja, currently based in Dubai, embarked on a journey two years ago to Bhavani to explore the state of weaving and learn directly from artisans. In her visits, she found many looms dormant, dusted with cobwebs, and few younger weavers stepping into the trade.

“I did not meet many young weavers, with the existing seniors themselves not getting much work,” she says (as you provided).

She has also collaborated with weaving clusters in Chennimalai, drawing on their folk art traditions (such as therukoothu) to enrich her design vocabulary.

Supraja’s aim is not just to appropriate a craft, but to revive, reinterpret, and recontextualize it — granting visibility, economic opportunity, and creative reinvention to the weavers.

A Bhavani Tribute at London Fashion Week

Her London Fashion Week showcase is a bold statement. Here’s what the collection promises:

• Handbags made from handwoven jamakkalams, preserving the original texture and color palette.

• Patchworked Western silhouettes — dresses, jackets, and separates — assembled from jamakkalam fabric fragments, echoing quilt-like construction and weaving aesthetics.

• A grand finale garment reportedly comprises over 400 individual fabric pieces — a metaphor for weaving heritage into a modern narrative. Vino Supraja Dubai+1

• A powerful moment of recognition: on stage, master weaver Sakthivel Periyasamy joined Supraja for the final bow, symbolically honoring the artisan as a co-creator. Vino Supraja Dubai+1

The runway is more than fashion — a cultural performance. Dance, music, and theatrical elements accompany the show, weaving Tamil folk art, theatre, and modern beats into the narrative. Thamarai+1

This interplay of craft, performance, and design places the jamakkalam not as relic, but as living, evolving “fabric of culture.”