Nostalgia is hitting right, crafts and glory, the thread binds you and me together, I knit, and you touch. Each bundle of wool will consist of my joy, anger, patience, and hope.
Wear this warm sweater I made for you, made out of love and memory. Always remember that this thread binds us together — my grandmother always recited this whenever she used to knit.
Tapping into nostalgia
Knitting and sewing have always been associated with grandmothers. A big part of this lies in the layers of sustainability and upcycling. The box of needles, wools, and crochets is
something that becomes a part of them, or that’s what we perceive.
When the pandemic hit, the world slowed down. Instead of rushing every morning to reach the office before time, we woke up to hear birds chirp (or were you a victim of a lousy sleep cycle as well?)
Many of us got the chance to channel our energy to different things and embrace a more laid-back lifestyle.
To take a break from rushing and running to enjoy small moments— The DIY culture, nailing a perfect cup of Dalgona coffee, tie-dying our shirts, handmade pieces of jewelry, painting, gardening, and the list goes on.
Perhaps, among these layers, we saw the emergence of the new subculture, Craftcore. It’s themed around handcrafted items to appreciate crafts and craftsmanship.
The term saw recent popularity due to the revival of the 60s and 70s. People got a chance to get in touch with their roots and artistic values. Like Cottagecore, it longs for harmony in nature, free- spirit, sustainability, and simplicity of life.
love for local
Embroidery, patchworks, quilting, and handcrafted techniques saw their way into the High fashion area as well-The JW Anderson’s cardigan from his Men’s Spring/Summer 2020 collection went viral after Harry Styles wore it during a performance.
In the Fall 2020 collection, Maison Margiela and Chloé presented their emphasis on crafty couture. The recent Copenhagen Fashion week saw various Crochets statement pieces and exploration of the quilting techniques.
The Spring/Summer 2021 runway at Valentino, Fendi, Bottega Veneta, Christian Dior, and more saw a perfect potpourri of craft styles.
In India, too, moving forward with our rich handicrafts and voting the love for local—
Designers like Anamika Khanna, whose statement quilted patchwork lehenga was the highlight of her 2020 collection.
Karishma Shahani Khan keeps on tapping the tie-dye techniques with extensive work with the patchwork, aari embroidery, macrame, and knitting techniques, and Aneeth Arora of Péro, who never fails to stand out with his impeccable upcycling methods to create beautiful designs, have always been working to promote this phase even before it was a term in India.
DIY drive
The wave craft core extends way beyond the runways and dominates social media with online labels, and thrift stores. The younger generation of gram kids played a part in this core by sparking a DIY drive with eco-conscious and thrifted pieces.
The other sustainable fragments, including Boho, cottage-core, and arthoe, are seeing an uproar in the media with handmade details, and videos spreading all over the internet. Dua Lipa’s hand-painted jeans confirm the rise.
DIY techniques have always been considered a great way of stress buster and anger management.
Adding to this recently Olympic gold medal-winning British diver Tom Daley, spotted crocheting at the Tokyo Olympics, stated that the crafts were his secret weapon to maintaining calm.
The rush-and-run culture burns you out. The current world of fast fashion lacks ethics, and originality and harms the world moreover.
With this said, Craftcore is here to stay—it’s healing, therapeutic, nifty, and all about appreciating your roots and surroundings. The joyful tap in your art, and crafts side is a step towards sustainability which is the need of the hour.
