VASTRA 2017 presents a fusion of the best and the latest in art and craft

Jaipur: The 6th Edition of the 4-day international textiles and apparel fair VASTRA 2017 concluded its third day on Saturday in Jaipur and is proving to be a fusion of the best and the latest in textile products.

VASTRA – an all-inclusive trade fair and conference on textiles and apparel –  is being held in Jaipur from September 21 to September 24. It has been organized at the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention center located in Sitapura. The Union Minister for Textiles and Information & Broadcasting, Smriti Irani and Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje inaugurated the event on September 21. Rajasthan Industries Minister Rajpal Singh Shekhawat was the guest of honor.

The products showcased in the fair range from fiber to fashion and services to technology. The textile fair is jointly organized by RIICO (Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation Ltd) and FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry).

Over 250 exhibitors from 13 states are displaying their products and around 300 overseas buyers from more than 45 countries with 200 representatives are attending the event.

Karnataka is participating as partner state and Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttrakhand, and West Bengal are participating as supporting states in the trade fair.

Sessions for designers and students are being held. It also featured a session on the importance of traditional Indian cloth Khadi and a way to increase its productivity with new designs in order to attract the global market. Another session on the crafts of North East is an initiative by the Indian government.

On display are various arts and crafts of Rajasthan like Handblock Printing, Khadi Wool, Applique Work, Kota Doriya, Tie and Dye, Lehariya, Bandhej, among others.

Handcrafted products like shirts, sarees, jackets, cushion covers, blankets, diaries, bags, etc are also available. Scarves, Stoles, and Shawls of Khadi wool as well as Kota Doriya sarees, dupattas, and dress material will also showcase the tradition of the state.

Also on show are products of ‘Craftmark – Handmade in India’ which is the only national certification programme for genuine Indian hand-crafted products.

Live demonstrations for state handicrafts like Aari Zardozi, block printing, and artificial jewelry will also make their presence felt.

Renowned fashion designers like Swati Ubroi, Wendell Rodricks, Samant Chauhan, Urvashi Kaur, Rimzim Dadu, Tara Aslam and Ajay Kumar are showcasing their talents at this fair which has been a massive success in the past and is looking to repeat the feat.