New Delhi, May 7 (IANS): Textile designer and jamdani weave exponent Gaurang Shah has given a handloom makeover to age-old chiffon -- the elegant, sheer silk fabric, with a soft drape, stretch, and shimmering appearance -- to appeal to modern-day fashionistas' evening dresses, bridal wear as well as costume design wish.

The task wasn't easy as Shah struggled for a long period to recreate chiffon on the handloom.

"After umpteen trials and experimentation, a 20 denier pure silk yarn was twisted in 3 ply and 2 ply with alternate twists, and then woven by handloom weavers in the interiors of India to create the textured and wrinkled chiffons, crafted to a 50-gram textile," Gaurang said while announcing the arrival of handloom chiffons in his stores.

Revealing the elements of his new chiffon in handlooms creations, Shah said it is a beginning of 'Handloom Chiffon', breaking away from its symbolic past.

"We have given the manifestation of the fashionable chiffon a bold spin by fusing several dyeing and printing surface techniques from textile clusters across India. The result is a collection of playful silken rendition of the modern day maharani and it was worth the wait as it spun out of our looms," he said.

"We want women to wear and experience a whole new chiffon and not the same old chiffon," he added.