A collection of news, views and travel related informations.
Inside view
Handmade with the heart
In their third presentation, ‘Old is New’, in the Friends’ Indian Textiles series, Shani Pillai and Joji Jacob took us on a visual extravaganza looking at how traditional embroidery techniques, crafts and textiles are being honoured and kept alive in a globalised world.
Indian Textiles: Sari to Sarong
Second of Shani Pillai and Joji Jacob Textile Talks at Te Papa, timed to coincide with the WoW festival. We were to learn the many intricacies of the renowned and centuries-old Ikat weaving that is practised in India, much of South East Asia, Japan and other countries.
Indigo – the colour of the sky and sea
Shani Pillai and Joji Jacob, after the success of their earlier ‘Threads of Tradition’ talk they returned to give us the WOW season of 3 in-depth multi media talks, the first of which, Colour Me Indigo at Te Papa.
Textiles Tour of India – 2019
A farm to fashion textiles tour which goes off the beaten track to meet master artisans at work and showcase the best in the traditional textiles industry covering the West, Central and Eastern regions of India.
Indian Fashion: Old is New
Indian Fashion: Old is NewIndian designers are embracing the traditional handloom weaves, tie and dye, block-printing, embroidery, metalwork and other embellishing techniques to create fashion that not only honours the rich heritage but also delivers to the modern...
Sari to Sarong
Sari To SarongDiscover the ancient art of Ikat dyeing and weaving. The Ikat textile was once used to symbolize wealth and prestige. It is now a popular fashion trend with celebrities and hipsters alike thanks to the work of various designers. This page is dedicated to...
Colour Me Indigo
Our journey in search of Indigo takes us through various countries and different process to obtain this invisible and non-soluble pigment.
Review: Talk at Te Papa on Handloom Textiles of India
A fascinating partnership and a wealth of knowledge and ambition were shared in Threads of Tradition, a talk about hand-loomed cloths of India. Shani Pillai and Joji Jacob are infectious in their knowledge, generosity and spirit as they take us to India from the perspective of textiles.
Andrew & Robyn Middleton
Kapiti Coast, New Zealand“No amount of stopping, wandering roadside to observe the wildlife and plants, was ever too much trouble for our guide and driver.…”Bhutan has been on our radar for a long time. As we are usually independent grassroots travellers it was...
Testimonials
Anna Lennon
The principal focus was traditional textile arts, but there was a marvellous balance of exposure to other arts and traditional crafts, music, design and architecture.
David & Megan Rendall
Yes – Joji and his AIT did an outstanding job of scheduling a wide range of interests and priorities, making sure that all arrangements were met – not once were we kept waiting, checking on progress and our well-being and when Cyclone Bulbul hit the Sundarbans making sure we were safe and had alternate accommodation and activities.
Lola Makower
My camera and I are truly grateful to the company “All Things Intriguing” to Joji and Shani and their team in India for the trojan work they put into making this trip the full experience it was for me.
Judith Feakin
Overall, I thought the balance of textiles activities and other activities was excellent. When I received the itinerary that was the first thing I looked at, as needed to see more of India than just through the fabric.
Joy Dodds
As a weaver & occasional dyer, embroiderer, sewer – I loved watching the local people working on their crafts & showing us how meticulous, patient, creative & clever they are.
Kate & Brett Fraser
India is not a holiday, but rather an experience. It is one we will not forget for a long time.
Christine Turner
Wellington, New Zealand“Everything was a highlight, each day was different from the previous one, and each brought exciting new experiences. Seeing the Taj Mahal at sunrise brought a lump to my throat – its sheer beauty is breathtaking, and the workmanship is amazing....
Robyn Gray & Rees Tapsell
Auckland, New Zealand“As first-time visitors to India we wanted to learn about this country of many religions with its rich history and see how it is for people living here and that was certainly what happened..…”To explain how wonderful our trip to India was I...
Bronwyn & Ian Hay
Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia“This was my fifth visit to India and I would have to say surpassed all my expectations. I came upon ATI Travel by pure chance while searching the internet for small group textile tours. I knew immediately…”We have recently returned home...
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