The ethereal Kota Doria

If you think of one word which can define the beauty of this fabric, then that is ethereal. This fabric has such grace and elegance that you could fall in love with it with just one look. And it is because this fabric is a unique blend of two most widely worn fabrics- Cotton and Silk.

The weaving of these two is done in such a way as to produce square check patterns on the resulting fabric. It is these square patterns which make this fabric one of its own kinds. And Kota Doria has been known all over the world for its finest open weaving craft. In fact, it has taken over all the positive qualities of both the fabrics-Cotton and Silk. Kota Doria has the same strength as Cotton and same mesmerising lustre and softness as silk. The addition of silk also makes this fabric transparent which in turn makes an extremely light-weight and breathable fabric. And that, in turn, makes it the most favourable fabric for summers.

Initially, only Sarees and Dupattas were made out of Kota Doria. But now all kinds it is used for all kinds of clothing like dresses, tops, scarves and home furnishings. The latest trend is the use of old Kota Doria sarees as Curtains which saves you on your pocket also and also helps you upcycle your worn out sarees.

Let’s take a look from where this mysterious and alluring fabric originated.

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Let’s take a look from where this mysterious and alluring fabric originated.

Origin of Kota Doria

Kota Doria fabric, itself gives us the illustration of its origin. It takes its name from a small town of Rajasthan, Kota, where artisans have been practicing this craft for generations. Also, Doria itself means thread. But according to some historians, Kota is not the first place where weaving of Kota Doria started. It was Mysore, in Karnataka region, where the art of Kota Doria was first invented. There, artisans who practiced this were referred to as “Masurias’. And it was during Mughal era, when these Masurias were brought to the town of Kota by Rao Kishore Singh, a general in the army of Mughal king Shahjahan because making of this fabric was extremely tedious and complex and only the most skilled artisans of that time could make this fabric. It was later on given a name ’Kota-masurias’ which was then replaced by Kota Doria.

This fabric came out to be so divine that it was even considered auspicious at that time. The Rajasthan royalties were so in love with this fabric that they used it for all religious occasions and also made it a symbol of Royalty.

At that time, Kota Doria was only made in two basic colors- white and beige. But as the technology advanced, Kota Doria was seen in a plethora of colors. Also, it was initially made out of Cotton only, but to make it more transparent and fine, silk was added in the weaving of Kota Doria.

The Kinds of Kota Doria

Kota Doria is one versatile fabric that is perfect for both casual and formal wear. The colorful sarees designed beautifully can be worn for all kinds of occasion. There are also three different styling of Kota Doria-Basic, block printing and with zari border.

Basic Kota Doria is the simple Kota Doria fabric made only out of Cotton or plain golden threads. This kind of Kota Doria was the only Kota Doria practiced traditionally. Block Printing was later on used on Kota Doria to make it more attractive and give it a completely new look.  This kind of Kota Doria is often referred as hand-blocked Kota Doria. Kota Doria’s with a zari border definitely adds elegance to an outfit and make it look more sumptuous.

Any kind of Kota Doria is extremely easy to maintain since it is mostly made up of Cotton. So, now that you are already in love with Kota Doria, let’s take you on a tour of some of the style inspirations you could use for designing your own Kota Doria outfits.

Kota Doria Style Inspirations

Fashion designer Krishna Mehta never lacks behind in showing her love for Indian textiles and craftsmanship. Almost all her Collection in fashion weeks gives a contemporary touch to the traditional fabrics like-Khadi, Kota Doria, jute etc. and also traditional prints of Shibori, Ikat, Batik.

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The Collection’Encore’ showcased at Lakme fashion week Winter/Festive 2014 was a tribute to all the ancient textiles and their art. The hand-woven fabric of Kota Doria was seen textured with dyeing or Shibori and stitching details. The outfits were an amalgamation of various fabrics and thread works like Kota Doria, brocade, velvets, cotton with laces and Zari borders.

It gave us some major style inspirations of how a traditional fabric like Kota Doria can be used to design modern outfits like jackets, palazzos, jacket-blouses, Khada pajamas etc.

Check out how these gorgeous Kota Doria Sarees from her ‘Encore’ Collection have been contemporary styled with so much perfection and grace.

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Kota Doria is definitely not just for sarees and Dupattas. Isn’t this brown Kota Doria scarves just so alluring? Play around with this fabric to design block printed scarves, dresses, tops etc.

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Kota Doria for Home Décor

You can also use this magical fabric for all kinds of home décor. Curtains are something you like changing with time to time. Instead of spending on Curtains, go buy an embroidered Kota Doria saree. Wear it enough and when you cannot wear it anymore, use it for decorating your home.

Check out how beautiful these upcycled Kota Doria sarees look when used it as Curtains.

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Kota Doria is definitely a proof that handcrafted fabrics of our country are still impeccable with any machine made fabrics. The government has also been taking many steps to preserve the handloom industry because there are still millions of artisans whose daily wages rely on this handcraft only. And no doubt their skill and perfection cannot be matched which can be seen in the ethereal beauty of their fabrics.

Even the fashion designers today are playing with the traditional fabrics to create a perfect contemporary look. So why not be your own designer this season and create your own Kota Doria outfits with some of our style inspirations.

And don’t forget we love hearing from our Customers. So, don’t forget to share your creations with us in the space below.